Beginning of the End
by ceredonia
Summary: Carolina meets David and his friends (North and Sean), and strikes up a friendship...except with Sean, all they can do is fight. Will they ever get along? Or is the fighting just there to cover for other feelings? (AU. M for Language. Includes most of the Freelancers.) (ps: (break) or (b) indicates a paragraph break, sorry FF doesn't like to put in spaces.) (DONE AS OF 9/2/13)
1. Chapter 1

**Part 1**

She looked at the photograph in her hand, his smile almost leaping off the page, the twinkle in his good eye practically visible even though she knew that logically, it was only a photograph; a camera couldn't actually capture something that only she could see when he looked into her eyes and she was sucked into that bottomless swell of emotions between them.

Jesus, what the hell was _wrong_ with her? She set the photo down with a scoff. _Bottomless swell? Get a freaking hold of yourself, Lina. Seriously_. She berated herself for another minute as she walked to the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee.

Brown cardboard boxes littered the small apartment, most of them sealed with that disgusting clear packing tape that always smelled like glue, while a few were still propped open with various items that didn't fit anywhere else. Her books, her movies, her random knick-knacks that just never really belonged—everything was moving to a new home, somewhere far away from here.

From him.

**Part 2**

"Two more, Lina! You can do it!"

Carolina's hand trembled as she lifted the shot glass away from the scratched bar counter, aiming it for her mouth. Well, at least she was fairly confident it was moving in the direction of her mouth. She had lost the ability to really tell quite a few shots ago.

Her throat burned as the alcohol flowed into her body, and she felt her head begin to pound as she reached for the final shot. Her best friends Dakota and CT were cheering on either side of her. Regret was already raging through every square inch of her body, but she couldn't quit with only one birthday shot left.

She tossed her head back as she swallowed, fighting the urge to immediately expel the liquid. Cheers filled her ears and she grinned, forcing herself to blink a few times as she slammed the glass down onto the counter.

"_Happy fucking twenty-sixth birthday to me!_" she yelled, watching as the bar began to elongate and rotate. CT started happily screaming profanities at the top of her lungs while Dakota grabbed both of them by an arm, dragging them back to their booth where their bags and mostly-empty beers were waiting.

"Maybe you two should calm down before we get kicked out," she warned. Carolina raised an eyebrow; Dakota was never the reasonable one. Then again, neither was she, and CT was more out of control than anyone, but it was still out of character.

"It's my fucking _birthday, bitch_!" Carolina leaned back in the booth and let out of whistle. "And I'm only _mostly_ trashed. We need to fix that."

"We should hit up another bar, this one's dead," CT announced suddenly, a huge smile spread across her face. "Unless there's anyone here you wanna grind on before the night's over, Lina?"

She shook her head. "Tonight's ladies night, you guys! I want a birthday without all the shitty boy drama. The three of us are single at the same time for the first time in _ever_ and I want to live it up!"

CT slapped the table, causing their beer glasses to rattle. "You got it! I'll get one last shot for myself and we'll hit up another bar, sound good?"

"_Perfect_."

She disappeared and Dakota slumped down in the booth, resting her head on the tabletop. "Jesus, she wears me out," she complained. Carolina laughed and inspected the people packed around the nearby tables and booths. A few of the guys were pretty cute, but none really stood out. CT was already at the bar, angling her body at the bartender to get quicker service. She was practically falling out of her top, she was bent over so far.

"We can ditch her."

"I'd love to, but you know she'd find us instantly."

"True. You doing okay?"

Dakota nodded, rubbing her eyes. "I feel so _old_. Its only 1am and I want to go to bed already."

"I could use a quick nap, but Connie will never let us go home this early."

"I know…"

"Okay guys!" Suddenly CT was standing at the table and downing another shot. "We good to go? There's a new bar around the corner that's supposed to be _full_ of hot guys at this time of night!"

"Sure, why not?" Carolina grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder, adjusting her top. Dakota followed suit and they squeezed through the throng of people out into the street.

Carolina took a deep breath of fresh air and let out a yell. "Are we ready, girls?" she hollered, linking arms with the other two so that she was in the middle. "Let's party it _up_!"

"_Fuck yeah_!" CT screamed, breaking away to run ahead of them. "Last one there has to do body shots!"

"Body shots? Did we travel back to 1996?" Dakota laughed, shaking her head. "I'll go keep an eye on her. You good?"

Carolina nodded. "Go, please. Someone needs to watch her so she doesn't punch another bouncer. I don't want a repeat of your twenty-sixth birthday."

"Got that right. See you there!" Dakota took off after CT. Carolina walked to the curb and sat down roughly, holding her purse in her lap. She just needed a break before the next massive crowd, and the chilly night air felt fantastic.

"Everything okay?"

She looked up to see a young man in a gray polo shirt and jeans smiling down at her. The sleeves were edged with yellow and she glanced down, realizing it matched his yellow and gray Chuck Taylors. "I'm fine, thanks. Just needed a break."

"Yeah, same here. My friends are kind of pissing me off. Yours too?"

"Just drank too much. It's my birthday."

"Oh! Happy birthday, random person!" He tilted an imaginary hat to her and she giggled. "I would have gotten you something, but you know, that would have been awfully forward of me, considering we just met thirty seconds ago."

"That's quite all right." Carolina stood, brushing off her skirt and readjusting her purse on her shoulder. "Nice to meet you, I'm Lina."

"David, but everyone calls me Wash. Long story."

They shook hands and she smiled at him, tilting her head in the opposite direction. "I'm supposed to be meeting my friends at a different bar. Maybe we'll run into each other?"

"I'll sure try, but—"

"God _dammit_, Wash, we leave you alone for five minutes and you're already hitting on strangers?"

They both turned to see two young men stumbling towards them. One was a hair taller than the other, his brown hair slightly shaggy, leaning heavily into the other man, blonde and all smiles. The brunette staggered away and to the right, coming to rest against a nearby lamppost, turning his face away.

"You're incorrigible," he slurred, shaking his head.

"Whoa, who's been teaching _you_ the _big words_?" Wash teased, putting his hands on his hips.

"Shut the fuck up, I know words too," he muttered.

"Hey now, come on. We're celebrating your release from that hellhole known as the Army, so be nice to us or we won't buy you any more drinks."

"I think I'm good," he replied, his face paling a little.

"Is he going to be okay?" Carolina asked, stepping forward.

"This asshole? He's gonna be _just fine_," the blonde replied, roughly slapping him on the back. Ignoring his groans, the man continued. "Hey, nice to meet you by the way."

"Oh, sorry!" Wash blushed slightly. "This is…Lina," he said, obviously proud that he was sober enough to remember her name two minutes after he heard it. "Lina, this is North."

"North?"

"Yeah, my parents were from Canada, so people thought it was funny to call me North because of the Great North. Just…whatever, it stuck."

"Aw, that's cute!"

North grinned. "Cute nickname for a cute guy, right?"

"Uh, I don't—"

Carolina was thankfully saved from having to come up with a reply as their friend chose that moment to empty the entirety of his alcohol-filled stomach onto the street beside them. He collapsed to his knees, coughing and gagging as Wash knelt down beside him, patting his back.

"Man, I bet _that_ felt good."

"Shut up," he coughed out, leaning over further to vomit some more. North scratched his neck, shaking his head.

"Looks like he's not quite up to par these days, huh?"

"Dude, he was in the Army, doesn't that usually make people super _good_ at drinking?" Wash replied, still rubbing his friend's back.

Carolina raised her hand a little, trying to ignore the stench a few feet away. "Uh, I've gotta go find my friends, are you guys okay here on your own?"

"Well, aren't you sweet? Of course I'll be fine," North said, reaching out his hand. She took it awkwardly and he gripped her hand more firmly than she expected, suddenly pulling her forward into a bear hug. Startled, she nearly stumbled and fell but caught her balance as she moved away, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"Uh, I was more worried about _that _one," she said, shaking her head. "But good to know."

"Come _on_, man, you don't _do_ that to _strangers_," Wash said, standing up. He walked over to Carolina and stuck out his hand. She shook it, leaning back slightly as though afraid he was going to hug her as well. "It was great to meet you, Lina."

"You too, Wash. Make sure your friend gets home safely, all right? You take care too, North," she added awkwardly.

"Yeah, fine, no goodbyes for me," their friend muttered from the curb where he was leaning back on his heels, trying to wipe his mouth on a newspaper he'd probably found on the ground. "I'm good, whatever, no one cares."

"Drink some water," she said, waving. "Have a good night!"

"Night, Lina!" North called out, waving back as she walked away backwards for a few steps. She watched Wash bend down to help their friend to his feet and turned around, trying to remember what bar Dakota had said they'd be at next.

* * *

"Oh my god, what _took_ you so long?" CT yelled over the blasting dubstep trance hip-hop something mix that was pumping through the speakers.

It had taken Carolina another twenty minutes to figure out where they had gone, since no one had actually told her the name of the bar and neither of them was answering their phones. Finally she'd found a bar a couple of blocks away that sounded unfamiliar and gotten inside relatively quickly, finding the two of them dancing upstairs with a couple of quite attractive men, she had to admit.

"Thanks for not telling me where you were going!" she yelled back, trying to act mad.

Dakota grabbed her arm and leaned in. "We found some guys, sorry!" It was her version of an apology and Carolina was used to it, so she shrugged and started tapping her foot to the beat. Soon she was dancing with some brunette guy who kept trying to grind on her, and she moved away to be closer to CT, busy grinding on her own new toy. She rolled her eyes and lost herself in the music, quickly forgetting her annoyance.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 3**

"Happy day-after-your-birthday, bitch!"

Carolina cracked open an eye to see Dakota standing over her, wearing _her_ sleeping boxers and oversized shirt. "Bitch, what are you doing in my clothes?"

"We crashed here, don't you remember?"

"No."

"Well, we did. Connie's passed out on the couch, and we slept in your bed. Clothed," she added quickly, as Carolina shot up an eyebrow in suspicion. "And no guys, don't worry."

"I wasn't. She's terrible at closing," she said, sitting up. "Oh god, _hangover_."

"Yeah, you refused to drink any water when we got home, that's your bad." Dakota tossed her robe in her direction and she caught it, climbing out of bed to wrap it around her striped pajamas set. "Hurry up, I've got pancakes made."

"Oh thank _god_, I'm starving." Carolina followed her out into the living room of her one-bedroom apartment to find CT curled up in the fetal position on the couch. She groaned as Carolina sat down on the opposite end, making the cushions bounce.

"Go _away_," she whined, burying her face in a pillow. "I feel _awful_."

"Because you drank half the bar," Carolina lectured.

"So did _you_."

"And I feel just as shitty, so stop complaining and let's eat."

"Bring it over here."

"_God_, you_ baby_." She stood up and slapped CT's leg, laughing as she kicked half-heartedly. She went into the kitchen and grabbed two plates, loading them up with miniature pancakes that Dakota had made. CT rolled over and found the television remote on the table next to the couch as Carolina sat down, handing her a plate.

"Hey, who's Wash?" Dakota asked, sitting down on the floor in front of the couch.

"Who?" CT asked, shoving a pancake in her mouth.

"I found this in Lina's bag this morning," Dakota said, handing her a piece of scratch paper. CT grabbed it as Carolina's mind began to clear, realizing what was going on.

"_Ooooh_, did you meet a _guy_ last night?" CT looked at the paper, grinning through a mouthful of pancake. "Wash, huh? What kind of name is that? Look, it's his phone number!"

"His name is David, and I don't know how that got in there," Carolina snapped, grabbing the paper away from her. "His friend must have shoved it in my purse when he hugged me."

"_Ooooh_, a _friend_? Is he hot?"

"I didn't notice," Carolina mumbled, pushing the paper into the crack between the couch cushions. "Shut up."

"That means he was hot," Dakota and CT answered at the same time. Carolina slammed her plate down on the table and stood up, stalking back towards the bedroom. "Aw, come on, it's not a big deal!" Dakota yelled after her. "You need this! You haven't been on a date in forever!"

"Because I haven't _wanted_ to!" Carolina yelled back, shutting the door behind her. She sat down on the edge of her bed and leaned over, holding her head in her hands as her elbows balanced on her knees.

_When the hell had North had the time to even write out the number in the first place? _she wondered, feeling annoyed. _He probably had it written down ahead of time in case he found anyone he wanted Wash to date._ Suddenly she felt less annoyed, realizing he must have deemed her worthy of dating his friend. Panic overtook her as she realized Wash probably had no idea what had happened, which was quickly displaced by disappointment that he probably wasn't really into her, it was all North's idea.

_So much for _that, she thought with a frown.

* * *

(break)

"Oh my god, _call him_." CT upturned her glass and finished draining the last precious drops of her mimosa.

"Are you_ seriously_ drinking at two in the afternoon?"

"It's brunch!"

"Brunch is in the morning. Breakfast slash lunch, therefore _brunch_. Brunch does not happen at two in the afternoon, _dipshit_."

"Whatever—it's brunch _somewhere_, right?"

"You're hopeless."

"Call him! Come on, Dakota, you agree with me, right?"

"Ohhhh no, I am staying _out_ of this. The last time I tried to get Lina to date a guy, we didn't talk for a _month_ after he dumped her."

"He didn't even _dump_ me! He just stopped showing up to dates and I found out he was sleeping with his _boss_!"

"See? Still bitter."

"Come on, just call him. He sounds adorable." CT leaned back in her chair and raised her hand as the waiter passed by, ordering yet another refill of her mimosa. "Besides, you need to know what he's like when he's sober."

"Yeah, he _was_ pretty drunk. I guess I should give him a chance." Carolina stabbed a piece of her potato salad and sighed. "It's just weird. I'm not sure if he liked me or was just talking to me because I was there."

"Now, I understand that we weren't there to pre-judge him for you," Dakota started, "but generally if a guy is talking to you, that means he likes you. I'm just saying."

"Yeah, shut up, I know."

"So _call him_."

"Fine!" Carolina dropped her fork onto her plate, wincing as it clattered loudly against the porcelain. "Do you want me to call him _right now_? Because I will!"

"We didn't say to call him _right now_, god, stop over-reacting. We just want you to go on a date. You need this."

"I'm thinking I may need new friends," Carolina grumbled, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket. She reached into her purse hanging off the back of her chair and rummaged around for the piece of paper, finally finding it tucked into a corner of the bag. She dialed the number and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes as she listened to it ring once, twice, three—

"Hello?"

_Oh god._ "Hi, uh, is this David?"

"Uh, yeah. Who is this?"

"This is Carolina, from last night? Outside the bar?"

Silence. Then, finally: "_Oh_, Lina? Wow, sorry, I never assumed that was short for anything. Oh my god, I'm sorry!"

"No, no, it's fine, sorry I wasn't clearer about that." CT and Dakota raised eyebrows at her and she shook her head, turning away to look at the carpet of the restaurant. "How are you?"

"Honestly, still kind of hung over. We drank _way_ too much last night." He laughed and she smiled to herself—it was such an adorable laugh, she couldn't help it. "And you?"

"Yeah, nursing ourselves back to normal at brunch." CT let out a yell of triumph and she heard Dakota shush her. "So, uh, sorry about just calling—your friend gave me your number, and I wasn't sure if that was something he normally did, or—"

"God _dammit_, North! You gave her my _number_?! When did you even have the _time_?!" The line muffled as he continued yelling, and she could make out North trying to defend himself. There was a loud noise and more yelling, and she waited patiently for another ten seconds while listening to what sounded like physical fighting. Just as she was about to say something, another voice came on the line. "You still there?"

"Um, yeah, is everything okay?"

"He's beating up North right now, can I take a message?"

Carolina blinked, confused. "Sure, just have him call me back when he gets a chance."

"Okay." The line went dead a second later and she pulled the phone away from her ear, slightly shaken.

"Everything okay?" Dakota asked, frowning.

"Yeah, uh, he got busy and had to go. He'll call me back later."

"See, that didn't go so badly!" CT said, high-fiving her across the table.

"I guess…"

(break)

Carolina was sitting on her couch later that afternoon, trying to read one of the many magazines CT left lying around her place when she stayed over random nights, when her phone rang from her back pocket. She jumped and dropped the magazine on her lap, digging into her pocket for her phone. She didn't recognize the number, but answered it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hey, is this Lina?"

"Yeah, who's this?"

"North, Wash's friend from last night."

"Oh, hey! Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, he just—well, okay, so Wash and I were fighting, and I sorta stepped on his phone, and we managed to get your number from the caller ID but it doesn't work now, so he wanted me to call you and apologize because he had to go to work." He sounded completely embarrassed. "So anyway, you have this number, and he wanted me to ask you to call him on my phone later tonight, any time after 9pm when he's off work."

"Uh, sure, I can do that."

"Good, he'll be—_dammit_!" North's voice got muffled as he yelled at someone next to him. "_Fuck_ _off_, York," he said, barely audible through the scuffle. Finally he came back on the line, apologizing again. "My friends suck, I'm so sorry."

"No, it's okay. Just tell Wash I'll call him tonight, okay?"

"Great. Actually, if it's not too weird, can I meet you for dinner? As friends?"

Carolina laughed. "That _is _weird. Why?"

"Just to get to know you, that's all. Wash is…not the bravest man in the world, and I could give you pointers on how to not scare him off."

"That's just intriguing enough to agree. Where do you want to meet?"

North laughed. "Awesome! How about at the Starbucks over on Teller and Main?"

"That's not really _dinner_, you know."

"Well, fine, we'll just do coffee then. Come on, you know you want to."

She sighed. "Sure, I'll see you there around seven?"

"Sounds great! I gotta go kick someone now, I'll see you later!" The line clicked off and she set the phone beside her on the couch, shaking her head.

This was getting stranger by the hour, but she still wanted to see Wash, so what could she do?

"Why did I agree to coffee when I hate drinking it?" Carolina groused, staring down into her mug of nearly-white coffee thanks to all the creamer she'd added. She was sitting at a small table next to the window, waiting for North. The sun was only just beginning to set, reminding her it was still early enough in the summer and that she should enjoy the long days of hot weather, even if she preferred wearing jeans and a casual blouse. Which is what she _was_ wearing, having decided to go casual since it wasn't _really_ a _date_, just 'coffee with a friend.' Who she'd met less than 24 hours previously. And barely knew at all.

What could go wrong?

(break)

"Hey there!"

She looked up and saw the blonde man from before standing next to her at the table, grinning down at her. He looked more composed than before, and was dressed in a nice pair of jeans with a purple t-shirt. "Hey!" she replied, realizing she was a little more uncomfortable than she'd originally thought.

He slid into the chair opposite her and leaned back, propping his hands behind the back of his head. "So, how are you today?"

"Good, still worn out from last night. I don't normally drink that much."

"You seemed sober compared to Sean. At least you weren't throwing up all over everything."

"Is he okay?"

"Eh, he's fine." North shrugged half-heartedly. "But he's not the one I wanted to talk to you about. Let's get down to business."

Carolina took a sip of her coffee. "Business, huh?"

"Wash is…a special guy, let's just say." North leaned forward and put his hands on the table, lacing his fingers together. "He's not one for short-term hookups, and I just want what's best for him. Honestly, he hasn't dated anyone for a while now, and he hasn't really been looking, so when I saw how he was acting around you last night, I decided to take things into my own hands."

"When did you even get the chance to write down his phone number?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "Okay, this is going to sound sad, but…I keep it on me at all times just in case we meet someone he seems interested in."

Carolina blinked slowly. "I can't decide if that's sad, or one of the sweetest things a guy can do for a friend."

"Well, with any luck you'll land on the latter." His cheeks turned slightly pink. "I mean, I could be a typical guy and try to block any chances he gets, but Wash doesn't deserve that. He's a great guy."

She leaned forward onto the table, her face inches away from North's. "How great is he?"

"The greatest."

"Please, tell me more."

**Part 4**

CT ran a brush through Carolina's hair, trying to get it tied back so she could braid it, but it wasn't cooperating very well. "Oh my god, seriously, you should just cut it all off and start over. This is ridiculous."

"Shut up, I love my hair."

"It doesn't want to tie back!"

"Then just leave it down!"

"But it looks better back!"

"Ugh, just _leave_ it already." Carolina swatted CT's hands away and leaned towards the mirror, putting the final touches on her eyeliner and eye shadow. "I've gotta get going anyway, I'm supposed to be meeting Wash in half an hour across town."

"Then stop messing around and get going!" CT shoved her out of the bathroom a moment later, handing her the smaller purse she'd packed earlier with just the essentials. "Are you sure you don't want me to go with you? Safety in numbers and all that."

"Yeah, no thanks, I think you'd just scare him off."

"Hey! Rude." CT thought for a moment. "True though."

"Okay, I'll call you when I get home, just to make you feel better."

"Yeah, you will. Though I won't wait up."

Carolina glanced back at CT while opening the door, catching her wink. "_Ugh_, grow up," she called out, shutting the door behind her. She ran down the steps towards her car parked on the street and got in, tossing her purse onto the passenger's seat. The engine roared to life and she pulled out onto the street, headed for the restaurant across town that Wash had chosen during their phone conversation a couple of nights previously.

(break)

_"So, I'm really sorry about earlier." He sounded so sorry she couldn't help but giggle._

_"No, it's really okay. North apologized for you."_

_"When did you talk to North?"_

_"Oh, we had coffee a couple of hours ago, didn't he tell you?"_

_"No." She could practically hear Wash's eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What did you talk about?"_

_"Nothing really, he just apologized for breaking your phone and we had a nice conversation over coffee."_

_"Did he…tell you anything about me?"_

_"Not really, just that you're a great guy. He spoke highly of you."_

_"Good, I won't have to kick his ass later then."_

_"So…why did you want me to call you tonight?" She was trying to play coy, but was terrible at it, and probably sounded completely dumb._

_"Oh, uh, well, I kind of wanted to ask you to dinner. I know we just met last night, but—"_

_"When did you want to go?"_

_"Oh!" He sounded surprised, and she mentally kicked herself for answering so quickly. "Uh, how about the day after tomorrow? Have you ever heard of Errera?"_

_She thought for a moment. "Isn't that a little expensive?"_

_"Not really. I make decent money, just so you know."_

_"Sounds great then."_

_"I'll make reservations for seven, and meet you there? That way you can leave in your own car if you feel like I'm too creepy or something."_

_She laughed. "I think I'll be okay."_

_(break)_

Carolina walked into the restaurant and immediately felt overwhelmed, surrounded by couples dressed in their very best outfits and waiters carrying expensive-looking food around to the intimate tables. She turned to the hostess and gave her name, where she was told her date had already arrived. The young girl led her to a table near the back of the restaurant where they found Wash waiting patiently. He jumped up as she approached and helped her into her chair. She felt extremely underdressed in her black shirt and teal button-up blouse when she realized he was wearing gray slacks with a pale green shirt and gray jacket.

"This is a little fancier than I was expecting," she admitted, watching as a look of relief came over Wash's face.

"I'm _so glad_ you said that, I feel really out of place here," he said, glancing down at his suit. "I mean, this is the nicest thing I own. I'm surprised they even let me in here."

"We don't have to stay if you don't want to," Carolina suggested, looking around. "I can tell this isn't really your style either."

"Well, you know what _is_ my style?…"

(break)

"This is _amazing_," Carolina said through a mouthful of food, reaching for a fry.

"Told you! This is the best place in town to get burgers, and no one knows about it." Wash dipped his burger into his coleslaw and took a huge bite, whimpering as a tomato fell out from between the bun slices. She laughed and picked it up off his tray, helping shove it in his mouth as he coughed, trying not to choke. They were sitting side-by-side in a booth near the window, people-watching and whispering comments about the other customers.

"Stop!" he managed to say in-between coughing and chewing.

"Just trying to help!"

"So I want to know more about you," Wash finally said, having finished swallowing his entirely-too-full mouthful of food. "What do you do? Do you have any family in the area? What are your hobbies?"

Carolina reached for her soda and took a sip, thinking. "I work in an insurance office and essentially push paper. My parents live in New Hampshire, which is why I'm here in California—about as far as I can get from them. No siblings. I love reading and watching trashy television shows. You?"

"I just finished my master's degree in education, and I want to be a teacher at an elementary school. My dad passed away years ago, my mom lives out in Colorado, and I figure someday I'll move back there to teach. I enjoy true crime shows and playing video games."

"Elementary school, huh?"

Wash blushed, staring down at his burger. "I know. It's gonna sound dumb, but I had this amazing teacher in second grade who really helped me out. I was one of those antisocial kids, who sat alone and just wanted to read, but he made me talk to this other kid and we became best friends. I want to be like that teacher and help others."

"That's not dumb—I think that's amazing. Do you still talk to the other kid?"

"Unfortunately, every day. You've met him, actually."

"Oh my god! You and North have been friends that long?!"

"Yup." Wash grinned, picking a piece of lettuce up from his tray to shove in his mouth. "We live together, actually. Been best friends since the day Mr. Flowers made us talk to each other."

"Wow, was that _actually_ his name?"

"Yeah…I know, seriously. But he was the coolest teacher ever. And North is the greatest friend a guy could have, so it worked out. We stayed in touch even though we went to different colleges, and moved in together after we both graduated to save money."

"I've only known Dakota since college. I majored in architecture; she majored in business with a minor in communications. We met CT here at a club opening—she was the promoter for some new brand of vodka or something, she's since moved on to larger accounts so she stays pretty busy in the club and bar circuit, which is awesome because she usually knows what new places are opening and which ones have bad reputations."

"That's pretty awesome! I don't go out much, but she sounds fun." Wash smiled and dipped a fry into some ketchup, angling it towards his mouth.

"Yeah, she is. They both are. I'm more of the 'stay at home and take a bubble bath' type myself, but we have a lot of fun. The two of them have an apartment together across town, I still live alone."

"That's convenient," he said, chewing on the fry. He caught her look and shook his head quickly. "No! I mean, like, that's not what I meant—I mean, that's nice you can relax, and take your baths alone, but you don't _have_ to be alone, because—okay, I'm going to stop talking now." His face was already as red as the ketchup on the plate.

Carolina burst out laughing, nearly dropping what was left of her burger. "I know what you meant, but that was _hilarious_ watching you try to back out of it!"

"Shut up!"

"Aw, come on, it wasn't that bad. We can go back to talking about other stuff, like—"

Wash leaned over and kissed her, cutting off her sentence. She closed her eyes and they continued kissing for a minute, the sounds of the restaurant fading out around them. Finally he pulled away and she smiled, setting down her food.

"That was—"

"Sorry, I wasn't really thinking. Well, I was, but I was thinking that I didn't really want to wait any longer to kiss you."

Carolina glanced down, embarrassed. "That's okay, I didn't mind."

Wash cleared his throat, reaching over to take her hand. "Hey, can I say something? Something that's, well, _super_ awkward right now?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Lina, I think you're fantastic. You're funny, you're gorgeous, you seem to really get me, and you haven't punched North—who obviously approves of you. But, just now, I…well, I don't really know how to say this." He hesitated, squeezing his eyes shut. "I think we'd be better off as friends," he finished in a rush of words.

Stunned, she stayed silent for a moment. Finally she burst out laughing, pressing his hand between both of her own. "Thank _god_ you said that."

"What?!"

"I didn't want to be the one to say it, but—kissing you was like kissing, well, I don't have a brother but I kind of imagine it'd be like that?"

His shoulders visibly slumped with relief. "I thought it was going to be just me. I still want to be your friend, though!"

"I think that can be arranged." Carolina leaned over and kissed his cheek, then reached for the remainder of her food. "We'd better finish eating so we can go get dessert."

"Yeah, that sounds great." Wash grinned, scooting over in the booth. She shifted and leaned her head on his shoulder, smiling to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 5**

Carolina leaned back in the bathtub, soaking in the hot bubble bath she'd just stepped into. The temperature was perfect, her lavender candle was flickering from the nearby countertop, and the stack of magazines on the tiled floor was ready to be attacked in an orderly fashion.

She'd spent the day with Wash, shopping at local thrift stores in an attempt to furnish his and North's new apartment. They've moved into a larger place since North got a promotion and started throwing fits that their current place was too small for the new TV he wanted to buy. He and Wash acted like a married couple, but it was amusing to watch them bicker back and forth nearly every time they all hung out.

CT had been getting suspiciously close to North, but Carolina had decided to ignore it. The two of them didn't really seem too compatible, usually ending up in a fight and having to be pulled apart. She'd caught them peacefully snuggling against each other the last time the four of them and Dakota had watched a movie at Carolina's place, but had chalked it up to there not being a lot of room to sit.

Wash and North's other friend, Sean, never hung out with them. She actually hadn't seen him since the first night she'd run into the three of them outside the bar, but North never seemed to want to talk about why he didn't spend time with them. Wash had explained later that he and North sort of had a rocky relationship but didn't go into it any further, leaving her mind to wander. It was probably nothing, but the curiosity ate away at her imagination occasionally.

She reached over and picked up a magazine just as her phone rang from the floor. Dropping the magazine in a huff, she leaned out of the tub enough to check the caller ID and saw a number she didn't recognize. She ignored it and let it go to voicemail, leaning back in the hot water again.

A minute later it rang again and she heaved a sigh, leaning over to pick it up. The same number was calling _again_, so she hit the END button and sent it to voicemail. "Take the hint, person I don't know," she grumbled, grabbing the magazine again. She settled back and flipped it to a random page, already making mental notes of things to make fun of with Dakota and CT later.

She had a few minutes of peaceful silence until the phone rang a third time. Swearing very loudly and profanely she nearly dropped the magazine in the water, barely managing to catch it before it hit the surface. She tossed it into the floor and grabbed the phone, seeing Wash's number come up on caller ID.

Answering the call, she shifted in the tub so she could sit more comfortably away from the towering bubbles threatening to destroy her phone. "Hello?"

"Is this Carolina?"

She didn't recognize the voice; who the hell was calling her from Wash's phone? And why did they sound drunk? "Uh, maybe. Who is this?"

"Wash told me to call him if I needed him, and I tried calling him but he left his phone here, and he's out somewhere. Can you come over here?"

"Where is 'here' and who the hell is this?"

A burst of static shot through the phone and she thought she heard a 'k'-sounding name. "Hello?"

"Are you still there?"

"Look, whoever this is, are you at Wash's place?"

"North is gone too." Suddenly his voice was quieter, as though lost in thought. "Can you come over?"

She realized the only person who could possibly be calling was Sean, and sighed. "Yeah, fine. Give me a bit."

"Thanks." He hung up and she stared at the phone, getting more annoyed by the second. With a heavy sigh she grabbed a nearby towel and climbed out of the bath, not caring that she was dripping water all over the magazines.

(break)

Carolina knocked on their apartment door, glancing around. Their new place was in a nicer neighborhood, but it was nearly midnight and she worried about being in places she didn't know very well that late at night. Like a normal person would.

Something rustled behind the door a minute later and the familiar unlocking sound echoed a second later. The door swung open and a young man was leaning on the door, hands on the doorknob as though to steady himself. He was partially hidden behind the doorframe and she could only see the right side of his face. His mouth was turned down in a scowl.

"Are you Carolina?" he asked.

"Yeah, are you Sean?"

"Come in." He swung the door open as he turned, walking over to the couch. She followed and closed the door behind her, locking it out of habit. She watched him collapse onto the couch and bury his face in a pillow, looking up at her as she stood over him, her arms crossed over her chest. "You look like crap," he mumbled.

"Seriously? You called me in the middle of the night. I was in the bath, so I just threw on whatever and came over here, and you don't even thank me?" She was wearing sweats and sandals with an old t-shirt over a sports bra, with her hair tied up in a messy ponytail. It also happened to be laundry weekend and she didn't have much else to wear on such short notice, not that she was trying to impress anyone. "Where is everyone?"

"Out."

"Where?"

"Dunno."

Something caught her eye and she finally noticed the empty bottle of whiskey and nearly-empty glass on the table in front of the couch. "Are you drunk?"

"Maybe."

"Why?"

"Why _not_?"

"Okay, you're gonna have to give me something to go on here, Sean." She sighed and knelt down in front of the couch, leaning back on her ankles. He peered over at her, still hiding the left side of his face.

"Stop calling me that," he slurred.

"What, Sean? What _should_ I call you?"

"York."

She frowned. "York? Why—"

"Army nickname. It stuck. I hate Sean."

He was a man of few words when drunk, Carolina was quickly finding out. "Okay, York. So why are you drunk tonight? Did something happen?"

"Got dumped."

_Ahhh, there it is_, she thought. "I'm sorry. Was it serious?"

"_I _thought it was. Guess she didn't."

"I'm really sorry. I've been there, we all have. Do you want me to track down one of your friends?"

"Aren't _we _friends?"

She shrugged. "We've met once, you were just as drunk _then_, and you never hang out with us. Do _you_ think we're friends?"

"I thought we were, by association at least."

It was the longest sentence she'd gotten out of him so far, and she was going to run with it. "I didn't know you could be friends by association. Acquaintances, maybe, but not _close_ friends."

"Never said that. Said by _association_."

She stood up, shaking her head. "I'm going to get you some water."

"_No_." He reached out for the glass, but she reacted quickly enough and shoved it across the table before he could touch it.

"Nope, you're getting water. Sit up."

He mumbled something into the pillow as she walked over to the kitchen, going over to the fridge. She opened it and grabbed a bottle of water, heading back over to the living room to discover York hadn't moved. "Come _on_. You can't drink anything lying down."

"I'm a man of many talents," he argued.

"Sitting up is not going to kill you. You managed to get to the door without dying or throwing up, right?" She looked around quickly. "…Right?"

"I didn't throw up," he said, closing his eyes.

"Come on, sit up." She set the bottled water on the table and leaned over him, grabbing him around the shoulders. He continued protesting but she persisted, managing to pull him into a sitting position. Letting go of him, she stepped back and he leaned over to grab the water. As he leaned back against the couch, she let out an involuntary noise of surprise.

York's left eye had a large scar cutting through it, the jagged lines white and faded. The iris was a pale white, obviously having been blinded. He tilted his head up to look directly at her, his expression changing from one of annoyance to sadness.

"Go ahead and ask," he said, smiling slightly as though he was used to the reaction.

"What happened?"

"Basic training. Live rounds." He clutched the water tightly and lifted his free hand, shaping his fingers into a gun to aim at her face. "Partner was being stupid. I yelled at him, gun went off. My face was in the way." He mimicked firing a bullet. "_Ptchoo_."

"I'm really sorry, York. I don't know what to say."

"Eh, it gets me chicks." The small smile bloomed into a larger one. "_Lots_ of chicks." He thought for a moment and the smile faded away as quickly as it had appeared. "Until they get tired of me, apparently."

"Can I do anything? I can go find her and kick her ass," Carolina offered, sitting beside him on the couch. He turned to look at her as he shrugged.

"I'll be fine. Thanks for coming over."

"I mean, I feel bad now for giving you shit earlier. Obviously you're having a bad night."

York shrugged again. "I was being rude," he said.

Apparently that was as close to an apology as she was ever going to get. "Why don't you ever hang out with us?" she asked, settling back against a pillow.

"Not much for crowds." He finally unscrewed the lid of the water and lifted to his lips, taking a long drink. She waited for him to finish and watched him put the lid back on, dropping his chin to his chest. "I don't get along with many people outside of the guys."

"Well, it'd probably do you good to meet new people. I think you'd get along with my friends."

"North talks about CT. She sounds interesting."

"That's a good word for her. Dakota is a little more like me; I bet you'd like her."

"Not looking for a new girlfriend," he said, lifting his head to frown at her.

"I wasn't trying to set you up!"

He sighed and hauled himself to his feet, setting the water down on the table. "I'm gonna crash in Wash's bed," he announced, sounding exhausted.

"All right. Do you need help getting there?"

"I know the way." He shuffled down the hall and disappeared into Wash's room, shutting the door behind him. Suddenly she felt extremely awkward, not knowing if she should leave or stick around until someone got home. She wrestled with her options for a minute, finally deciding that she couldn't just leave York alone when he was _that_ drunk, and got off the couch, grabbing the water as she headed for the room.

She knocked on the door and opened it after getting no reply. York was already lying in bed, face-down against the pillow, and cracked his good eye open at her as she approached and stood looking over him. "Are you stalking me?" he asked, the words muffled against the fabric of the pillow.

"I'm just worried about you."

"I'll be fine." He rolled over onto his back and smiled at her, his eyes heavy with sleep. "Thanks."

"Yeah, no problem. If you don't mind I'll just wait until someone comes home. I don't need you throwing up all over Wash's bed and getting blamed for it."

"Aw, he wouldn't be mad at you. He's too nice." His sentences were progressively getting longer and more complex, which was a good sign. "You two are good together."

"We're just friends."

"Sure you are." His smile got a little larger and he chuckled. "The way he talks about you, I don't think you're just friends."

Her cheeks started burning. "What does he say about me?"

"Keeps goin' on about how sweet you are, how we should all hang out so I can meet you, how you're so smart and stuff. Exhausting."

"Well, we really _are_ just friends." She sat down on the floor and began playing with the cuff of her sweatpants.

"_Just_ friends, huh?"

"Really. We agreed on the first date."

"That's sad."

"I think he's fine with it," Carolina said, smiling.

"Didn't say it was sad for him."

"What do you mean?"

"You're missing out. Wash is great. I'd date him but that would be weird, wouldn't it?"

Carolina laughed. "I'd understand if you lean that way—"

"No, no _leaning_. I like girls." He sat up a little and rolled over onto his side so he could look down at her. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Do you _trust_ me with a secret?"

"You seem okay. Here goes." He stared at a spot above her head, not quite meeting her gaze. "There's another reason I don't spend time with you guys."

"Oh really. And what is that?"

He scooted a little closer, a smirk curling at the corner of his mouth. "That's a secret," he whispered, holding a finger to his lips, finally looking her in the eyes.

"You're an ass," she said, shaking her head. So much for getting anything out of him.

"Hello?"

"Good, North is back!" Carolina jumped up, pointing down at York. "You stay in bed and try to sleep this off. I'm going to go talk to North."

"Good, North is back," York echoed, closing his eyes. She smiled and left the room, closing the door behind her. She found North looking around the living room, apparently trying to make sense of the empty whiskey bottle, messed up couch cushions, and her keys on the kitchen counter.

"Lina? What are _you_ doing here?" He was dressed in slacks and a button-up shirt, like he'd just gotten back from a date. "Have you been drinking? Where's Wash?" he asked as they hugged.

"He's not home. I got a call from York, he asked me to come over."

"_York_ called _you_?"

"He said he was trying to call Wash, but he'd left his phone here, so he used it to call me since you weren't home either. Where were you?"

"I was out with—uh, I was just out," North said hastily, glancing away momentarily to focus on the apparently more interesting carpet. "I though Wash was home, so I left him and York a while ago. They were watching the game when I left."

"Well, I don't know where Wash is, but I guess I'll go home since you're here." She turned to leave, but North reached out to grab her shoulder.

"Did York say anything to you?" he asked, sounding worried.

"About what?"

"Well, anything."

"He implied that Wash is into me, if that's what you're talking about. I think he's got something wrong there, but he's wasted so there's not really talking any sense into him at this point."

North smiled. "I see. That's _all_ he said?"

"North, what are you trying to get out of me? Is there something I should know about?" Carolina was getting more suspicious by the moment. North _never_ acted this strangely around her.

"No…nothing, don't worry about it. I just wanted to make sure he didn't—" He stopped talking suddenly, shaking his head. "You can go home, I'll take care of him. Where is he?"

"Wash's room. You wanted to make sure he didn't _what_?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it. If you don't want to go all the way home you can stay in my bed, I'll take the couch."

She shook her head. "I'll be fine, thanks. I should get some sleep, and I prefer my own bed. So, you have no idea where Wash went?"

"Nope, he was here a few hours ago." North shrugged. "Sometimes he just goes on walks, but not for _this_ long."

As though he were psychic, Wash chose that exact moment to open the front door, three plastic bags of groceries hanging off his arms. "Wow, uh, are we having a party?" he asked, seeing Carolina and North in the living room. "And why wasn't I invited?" he added, nodding towards the whiskey bottle as he set the bags on the counter.

"Long story short, York called Carolina in a drunken haze and is now passed out in your room," North replied, walking over to help unpack groceries. Wash raised an eyebrow at Carolina, a can of soup in his hand.

"He called _you_?"

"Look, I get that it's unusual, but can we all move past it?" Carolina said angrily. It was late, she was tired, and wasn't in the mood to answer a bunch of questions. "And hey, do me a favor, Wash?"

"Sure?"

"Tell York two things when he wakes up. One, if he wants to pretend this never happened, that's fine. We just had a nice conversation that he probably won't remember anyway. And two, assure him that you and I are _not _dating. He seems to think we are." She grabbed her keys from the counter as Wash cocked his head in confusion.

"Dating?" he echoed.

"He was going on about how apparently _you_ won't stop talking about _me_, and that gave him the idea that we're dating. Or at least, you're still into me. Which I thought we agreed—"

"No, we did. I think he's just confused." Wash smiled and came around the counter to give her a hug. "You should go home and get some sleep. Thanks for taking care of him; I know he's kind of prickly until you get to know him."

"Yeah, prickly is _one_ word."

"Good night, Lina," North said from the other end of the kitchen as he shuffled something around in a cabinet to make more room.

"Night, you guys. I'll talk to you later." She walked over to the door and pulled it open, catching part of what seemed to be a _look_ exchanged between Wash and North. Deciding to ignore it, she closed the door behind her and headed for her car.

**Part 6**

A week had passed since the night York called her, and Carolina hadn't seen or heard from him since. She'd gotten his number from Wash and sent him a few texts asking if he was okay, if he needed anything, but got no response. She finally gave up on the small hope that they'd had a breakthrough and resigned herself to the fact that they probably weren't going to hang out much, if ever.

She decided to take a snack break at work and logged out of her computer, grabbing her purse from underneath her desk. A quick order of a slice of cake and some tea would probably fix her morning, so she made her way to the Starbucks on the corner by her office, walking quickly as her stomach began to grumble. As she swung open the heavy glass door and walked up to the display case, the array of cakes and cookies spread before her eyes, her stomach let out a louder growl and she winced.

"Hello! What can I interest you in today?" the girl behind the counter asked, chipper on command. She couldn't have been older than 19, and was entirely too perky.

Carolina smiled at her. "Good morning! Can I get a piece of the chocolate raspberry cake and a small lemon tea?"

"Of course! And for you, sir?"

"What? No, it's just me—" She turned to see a man standing to her left, inspecting the case as well. He raised his head and smiled broadly.

"Nothing for me, thanks. Just looking. Hey, Carolina, how's it going?"

"York! What are you doing here?" He didn't even look like she remembered—but then again, he'd been drunk both times they'd met, and she wasn't used to seeing him cleaned up. He glanced back over into the food case as she paid for her food, sneaking a glance back at him.

He certainly looked better when he wasn't stumbling drunk, dressed up in black slacks and a deep blue shirt, complete with black suit jacket and a slightly darker blue-shaded tie. His brunette hair was teased up into a small wave, a nice change from the drunken messy hair she remembered.

"Getting coffee," he replied, pointing at a piece of the same cake she'd ordered. "Miss? I changed my mind, can I get some of the cake too?"

The girl practically tripped over herself jumping over to the case, sliding it open to get another slice. She carefully handed to York, who took it from her with a wink. "Here you are, sir," she said, her hand trailing up to her hair to twirl the end of her ponytail.

"Thanks," he said, glancing back to Carolina, who was rolling her eyes. He grinned and carried it over to the cash register, pulling a five dollar bill out of his pocket. The girl took it and gave him back his change, and Carolina noticed her hand was shaking slightly.

"So, what are you doing in this area?" she rephrased her question, walking with him over to a small table near the door. They set down the slices of cake and their drinks and smiled at each other, settling into their chairs.

"I've got a couple job interviews lined up in the area, and I needed some fuel. You?" He sipped his coffee as she took a bite of her cake, savoring the taste.

"Dying at work," she mumbled through the crumbs. "I work about a block away and just needed a break. Too much paperwork, not enough motivation to just power through it."

"Ahh, I see."

They sat in silence for a couple minutes, neither really looking at the other. He watched people passing by the window and she surveyed the store, trying to think of something to say.

"Are we going to talk about last week?" he finally asked, tapping the table to get her attention.

"Are we? I don't know."

York smiled. "Look, I need to apologize. I was in bad shape that night. I barely remember what happened, to be honest."

"You were drunk and called me because your girlfriend broke up with you. How are you doing with that?" Carolina took a sip of her tea, trying to gauge where the conversation was going to go.

"Oh, Sarah? Whatever. We'd gone on four dates and she thought we were going to get married or something, so I had to break that off. She was a little crazy for me."

Carolina narrowed her eyes. "Wait—you told me _you_ were the one who thought it was serious, and _she_ dumped_ you_."

"Did I? I was drunk, easy mistake to make."

"Uh huh." Was it her, or did he glance down at the table when saying that? _Don't people look down when they lie? I swear I heard that somewhere._

"I'm glad I ran into you though. I owe you an apology for dragging you out that late at night to take care of my drunk ass."

"Funny—you've said twice now that you need to apologize, and yet you haven't." She realized she was being catty, but was annoyed that he was interrupting her break time to dance around issues.

"Wow, maybe Wash _did_ get off lucky," he said quietly, glancing back up at her.

"Ex_cuse_ me?"

"Look, I'm _sorry_. I shouldn't have called you, especially because we barely know each other, but I was drunk and not thinking straight, and just wanted someone to talk to."

"You have Wash and North for that. Hell, you probably have _other_ friends too, or have you alienated everyone else?"

"_Whoa_ there." York frowned, leaning back in his chair. "I didn't come here to be attacked!"

"And I didn't come here to be antagonized by someone who can't properly apologize, or even tell me the truth!" She stood up, shaking her head as she picked up her tea.

"Oh my god—_I'm_ the one who's apologizing for messing up, but _you're _the one being a bitch about it! What do you _want_ from me?"

"Look, York, you need to figure out what _you_ want _this_—" she pointed between them, "to be. I don't have the time to spend with people who tell me cryptic things when drunk or can't even answer a simple _text message_!"

"Did you text me? I kept getting messages from some number but I didn't realize it was _you_."

"What, you didn't think to ask anyone if they knew the number?"

"I've been busy!"

"Doing what, drinking and being a jackass with the guys?"

"_Carolina_!" York stood up as well, slamming his hands down on the table. A couple customers nearby glanced in their direction but quickly looked away when he glared over at them. He turned to look back at Carolina, who straightened her back and matched his glare.

"_York_."

"This. _This_ has got to end. I don't know why we got off to such a bad start, but _fuck_, I'm _trying_ here!"

"Why are you even _trying_? It's not like we were close to begin with!"

"Because _Wash wanted me to_!"

She froze, her mind racing. "_What_? Why would _Wash _care if we got along?!"

"Maybe because he _obviously_ still likes you?" York threw his hands up in the air. "Ugh—I'm over this. I'm just over it. Whatever. He can _have_ you. It's not like you're the best prize at the fair or anything."

"_Wow_. That's—" Carolina was actually speechless. "I just…wow."

"Whatever. See you around, I guess." York grabbed his coffee cup and stalked out of the shop, the door nearly slamming closed behind him. The girl at the counter gave Carolina a glare as she picked up her tea and grabbed her purse, following behind him at a safe enough distance to make sure he was far ahead of her.

(break)

"I mean, come _on_! What kind of asshole _says_ something like that and then just walks away?!"

Carolina tossed back the shot glass and drained it, slamming it back down on the table as she let out a yell of frustration. Dakota and CT glanced at each other, obviously confused and uncomfortable.

Ladies night was off to a _great _start.

"Sweetie, calm down. Did he _actually_ say you weren't the 'best prize at the carnival'?" Dakota asked, taking a swig from her beer glass.

"Carnival, fair, something like that. The point being—" Carolina picked up another filled shot glass and downed it, pointing her finger at Dakota as she slammed the glass down, "—the point being that he's a _dick_ and I don't know _why_ Wash would want us to even _try_ getting along!"

"Because Wash is a sweetheart and sees the best in everyone?" CT suggested. "I mean, come on. You have to admit it's cute he's trying so hard. Obviously he just wants all his friends to get along."

"We've known each other for four months now, and York and I have met three times—two of which he was _wasted_ and the third he was a complete and fucking utter _asshole_! There is _no reasoning_ with him!"

"Lina, I think you're overreacting. I mean, it kind of sounds like you didn't even give him a chance to explain himself."

"I texted him! I asked if he was okay after that night! I asked him, point blank, _at Starbucks just yesterday_, why he didn't apologize and he blew me off!"

"Look, we're not getting anywhere here." CT pulled out her phone and fired off a text, avoiding questioning looks from the other two girls. "I mean, I don't know York very well, but that really doesn't sound like him."

"When have _you_ ever hung out with _him_?" Carolina accused, looking at her suspiciously.

"I dunno, we've just…hung out a couple times. Him and North." She shrugged, and Dakota leaned forward onto her elbows to listen more closely. "And he's acted perfectly fine around _me_. Polite, even."

"You and _North_?" Dakota teased, grinning semi-drunkenly. "And what's going on _there_?"

"Look, isn't this supposed to be about _me_ right now?!" Carolina complained.

"It's _been_ about you for the past _hour_, darling," Dakota replied. "I want to hear more about CT and _North_."

"It's not like that," CT defended, waving her hand dismissively in the air. "We just hang out occasionally, nothing's going on."

"_Suuuure_."

"I'm gonna punch you in the face if you don't—"

"_Guyyys_, what am I going to _do_?" Carolina dropped her head on the table, letting out a whimper. "I thought Wash and I were _good_! We're friends! I don't want a relationship with him!"

"Then _tell him that_," Dakota lectured. "Nothing is going to get solved by you sitting around complaining about it. Common sense, Lina."

"_You're_ common sense."

"Yes, I am."

"Shut up."

"_You_ shut up."

"I'll be right back," CT suddenly announced, pushing her chair back from the table. She disappeared through the front door of the bar and Dakota shrugged, taking another sip of her beer. Carolina let out a low whining noise and she rolled her eyes, ignoring it.

They sat quietly for a minute, nursing their drinks, regarding each other sullenly. CT appeared again, arms linked with North, who looked entirely uncomfortable.

"Hey guys," he greeted with a little wave. Dakota returned the gesture as Carolina looked him over.

"Hey," she replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Connie asked me to come over to talk to you. Something going on with York?"

"Yeah, he's a _dick_."

"News to me." North sat down beside Carolina, grabbing her beer away so he could have some. She glared at him as he drank, chugging half the liquid in one go. He set the glass down and smiled at her, licking away a thin foam mustache. "What happened? I haven't seen him since a couple days ago."

"How did you get here so fast?" Dakota asked.

"I was on my way to meet Wash for dinner. Connie just had good timing, that's all."

"You sure ran over here quickly," she teased. Both North and CT blushed slightly, shaking their heads in unison.

"It's really not like that," North denied. "We just hang out, okay?"

"I'll _bet_ you do."

"Shut up, Dakota," CT snapped. "North is here to help Lina, okay?"

"You should go get dinner with Wash, he doesn't deserve to be stood up," Carolina grumbled, leaning against North's arm.

"Nah, it's okay. He can wait a few minutes. Would probably do him some good to be alone, we hang out too much anyway." His arm shook as he chuckled.

"I just don't know what York wants from me," she complained, her head feeling pleasantly buzzed.

"He's sort of complicated when it comes to girls," North said, reaching out for her beer again. "It's just something you get used to over time, to be honest."

"But I don't know what he _wants_," she repeated. "I thought he wanted to be friends, but then he was really rude and saying I should be with Wash, and I don't know what _Wash_ wants. We're _already_ just friends!"

"He knows that, trust me."

"_Who_ knows that, Wash or York?"

"Yes."

Carolina sighed and sat up, shaking her head. "I can't get a straight answer out of _anyone_," she said through gritted teeth. "I'm going to the bathroom." She slid out of the booth and left the three of them at the table, rolling her eyes. Heading towards the back of the bar she nearly walked past the restroom, the beer beginning her hit her more heavily as she moved.

She emerged a few minutes later after having splashed some water on her face to sober up a bit, walking back to the table. "And besides," she continued as though she hadn't left in the first place, settling back into the booth, "Wash has been acting weird around me lately too, and I don't know why. Am I, like, leading him on or something? I don't like him like that!"

"Wounding me, Lina, right in the heart," came Wash's voice from behind her. She whirled around to see him standing behind the booth, leaning over the back, his head on his arms. "Come on, give me _some_ credit. I'm not a puppy you can just kick around, you know?"

"When did you get here?!"

"A minute ago. North told me to come over, and I didn't want to miss another party." Wash smiled at her, obviously not too bothered by what she'd said. "Don't worry, I don't like you that way either. We're still friends, calm down."

"Then why have you been telling York all those things about me?" she asked with a frown.

He half-shrugged at an awkward angle. "Because I want you two to get along."

"Why does it matter?"

"Why shouldn't it?"

"You're just as much use as I'd expected," Carolina said, sliding down in the booth. Wash reached over and ruffled her hair.

"Aw, come on. York's not that bad a guy. Just give it time."

"Time for _what_?"

"To see what he's really about. I bet you'd be surprised."

"I'd be surprised if he turned out to not be a dick," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"_Lina_—"

"What?!" She tilted her head back to look up at Wash, who looked angry. She couldn't remember ever seeing him have that sort of reaction to anything and she instantly felt bad for snapping at him.

"Nothing. I'll see you guys later, okay?" Wash shoved himself away from the booth and walked away, disappearing through the front door. North mumbled some sort of excuse and followed, leaving the girls at the booth to stare at each other.

"Way to fuck up, Lina."

"Shut up, CT."


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 7**

**WELCOME TO THE DANGER ZONE**

**Come party with us as we**

**celebrate York getting a new job**

**and his very own apartment!**

**1248 Plaza Way, Apt. 5**

**8pm till Question Mark**

**Look sharp!**

Carolina tossed the hand-written invitation into her purse and looked up at Wash with a _look_ on her face. "You've _got_ to be shitting me."

"He asked me to invite you."

"He asked you to invite me. Those were his words—'Invite Carolina to my party tonight'?"

"Well—I mean, that's essentially what he said. Maybe not _exactly_—"

"Wash, sweetie, _no_. Stop trying to get us to make up and play nice. It's _not going to happen_."

"Seriously, he _wants_ you to come. He says, and I quote, 'invite the girls, it'll be nice to see them.' Not lying. I swear." He held a hand up over his chest and closed his eyes. "I solemnly swear."

"God, _fine_, I'll go if it'll get you to drop it."

"Yay!" He actually clapped his hands together and hopped a little bit. She shook her head. Wash was like a five-year-old when he was in a good mood, which was entirely too often for her.

"I bet you're just glad to have him out of the apartment," she said, leaning back on her heels. They were standing outside her work, sipping coffees that Wash had brought her on her morning break.

"Yeah, having him unofficially living there for the past five months hasn't been fun, I'll admit. I mean, sure, we're happy to host him, but I'll be glad to have my couch back." He picked up his coffee from the nearby ledge of the stairway.

"I can't believe you guys let him stay that long without paying for anything."

"Nah, he covered a lot of nights out and stuff, and helped when he could. He had his Army stipend and had been really careful about saving it, so he's pretty covered for the time being. But having a job and his own place will be good for him."

"What's he doing now?"

"Construction work, actually. How cliché is that?" Wash took a gulp of his coffee and winced. "Still too hot. Anyway, he got hired on at a local company that has contracts set up around the state, so he might be traveling a bit, but they mostly work in town. He says he always loved physical training, so it's a good fit."

"Well, that's good." She smiled. She really was glad York was getting back on his feet. "You know, you never told me _how_ you guys know him."

"Because it's not a particularly interesting story. He and North were college roommates, and they _hated_ each other. York was a player, always bringing girls back to their room when North was trying to study. Eventually they had some giant fight and didn't talk to each other for like, two months straight. Finally they just got tired of ignoring each other, made up, and have been nearly inseparable since. North brought him along out here when they graduated, when he and I moved in together, and then York went into the Army a month later."

"You're right, that _wasn't_ very interesting." Carolina laughed. "Just kidding, I'm glad you guys are all such great friends. _Really_," she added when Wash gave her a sideways look. "I mean, _I_ don't like him, but whatever."

"C'mon, Lina. Just give him a chance, will you?"

"Seriously, Wash. Why are you pushing so hard at this?"

"I like to see everyone get along." He took a sip of coffee and gave her puppy dog eyes as he lowered the cup. She rolled her eyes at him. "What's so wrong with that?"

"I already said I'd go to the party. Stop it with the guilt already. You won."

"Oh, I know."

(break)

Carolina stepped up to the apartment building with the invitation in her hand, glancing around. It was entirely too quiet for being 9:15pm; she'd spent the better part of an hour making up excuses she could give the next day as to why she didn't come, but eventually had decided to be nice and honor her promise to Wash. She entered the building (thankfully not one with a key-only entry door; she hated those) and went up the first flight of stairs, looking for apartment 5.

She found it right at the start of the second floor and knocked on the door a few times. Leaning in, she realized she could hear faint music playing but no talking or laughing or anything that sounded remotely like a party should sound.

The door swung open a second later to reveal York standing there, wearing what appeared to be a brand-new black suit with a shiny red tie against a sharp white shirt. He scowled and stepped aside, gesturing for her to come inside. Suddenly she felt underdressed in a simple black skirt and red strapless top.

"Welcome, I guess," he said in a surly tone, shutting the door behind her. He stalked across the short distance to a combination living room and dining room, where he had a small table set up with a large array of alcoholic drink options. A new television was on the far wall with a stereo nearby playing light jazz. The walls were bare, but he'd only been living there a week, so she wasn't surprised.

What _was_ surprising was that she was the only one there.

"Uh…sorry I'm late," she said, picking up an empty cup from the table. She poured a small amount of rum into it and started adding Coke from the two liter bottle next to it. "I got sidetracked, but I figured everyone else would be here already. What's going on?"

"You tell _me_. I say eight o'clock, and no one shows. I call Wash, he sends me to voicemail. Call North, he says he fucking _forgot_ and he's stuck working late. I even texted CT and Dakota, and no answer. What the _fuck _is going on?"

York looked like he was going to punch a fist through the wall, and was obviously already tipsy. Carolina reached over and put a hand on his arm. He turned to angrily look at her. "Wash told me you wanted me to be here, but I can leave," she said with a frown. "I wouldn't mind tracking him down and punching him right now anyway."

"Whatever." He shrugged off her hand and walked over to the closed bedroom door, opening it to go inside. Curious, she followed him to find him taking off the suit jacket to drape over the foot of his bed. "Guess I don't need to be dressed up since everyone ditched me," he said, catching her look of confusion as he loosened his tie.

"Look, I bet there's an explanation—"

"Yeah, our friends are fucking _liars_." He sat down on the edge of the bed, looking up at her. "Well, go ahead and say it."

"What?"

"Say what you're thinking. I don't care anymore."

"Say what I'm—York, I don't know what you're talking about." Carolina set her cup on the small bookcase near the door and stood in front of him.

"I'm a jerk and everyone's pissed off at me, probably for how I treated _you_."

"No one's mad at _you_." She moved around him and sat down next to him on the bed, noticing that he shifted a little to scoot away a couple of inches. "I seriously don't know where everyone is, or what's going on, but I can guarantee you, if they're mad at anyone they're mad at _me_."

"Why? Everyone loves you."

She laughed really loudly at that, and York frowned. "What? What's so funny?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Wow, do you just have _everything_ wrong. York, _I'm_ the one everyone hates right now. I…well, after that whole incident between us, I wasn't exactly saying nice things about you."

"Jesus, I _knew_ it. I _knew_ that's why Wash was avoiding me." He buried his head in his hands, balancing his elbows on his knees. "You must have told him what I said, that he could have you."

"No, I didn't. But I still wasn't saying anything particularly nice about you."

"Yeah, I don't blame you."

She looked over at him and saw that he was looking directly at her. "Why not?"

"Because I deserve it."

"No, you don't." Her gaze trailed past the scar over his eye, coming to rest on his mouth, which was curved up in a small reluctant smile. "I mean, we both said some things, but I wish I could take back most of them. You know, you're not _such_ a bad guy."

"Wow, that makes me feel _much _better about everyone ditching me," he replied, the smile disappearing.

"Want me to try calling anyone?"

"No, there's no point." York stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her off of the bed in one fluid motion. She let out a yell of protest as he dragged her out of the room and over to the stereo where he finally let go over her hand. She stood next to him uncomfortably as he hit a few buttons on the stereo, smiling as a slow jazz song began to waft from the speakers.

"York, what—"

He took her hands and moved them onto his shoulders, placing his own hands on her hips. "Look, just like in high school," he said, beginning to sway back and forth in time to the music. Despite her brain working a million miles an hour in an attempt to figure out what had changed, she started to move with him, realizing she really liked the song that was playing.

"Okay, what's going on?"

"Look, it's a party, right? Someone needs to be dancing. I've already covered the drinking."

She noticed that his cheeks were slightly flushed. "Fine, I suppose if I _have_ to I can do some dancing," she replied, moving to make another inch of space between them.

"Why do you think no one came?" York asked, closing his eyes. "I know things have been a little rough lately, but that's why I moved out, to get some space. I feel bad that I interrupted their lives for so long, you know?"

Carolina nodded, slightly loosening her rigid stance. "I get it. I feel like I'm imposing on Dakota and CT all the time, forcing them to stay in or listen to me rant about…things," she replied, realizing she was about to say his name.

"You were going to say rant about _me_, weren't you?"

She blushed. "_No_."

"Don't worry about it. I did my fair share of complaining about you too."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, wonder why?" he said, mimicking her tone.

"Are we ever going to stop fighting?" she asked, no longer embarrassed. Clearly he was trying to get a rise out of her, but she didn't feel like engaging him at the moment.

"I don't know. I bet the others would appreciate it if we did, but I kind of like making you angry."

"Answer me something, honestly." She stepped to the side, forcing them to spin a little as the song changed to another slow one. "That night I came over, when you were really drunk. Do you remember anything we talked about?"

York shrugged. "Bits and pieces."

"What _do _you remember? Humor me."

"I was really drunk, but you already know that." He turned a quarter-circle, and she felt his hands tighten around her waist just a little bit more. "I was upset because I'd just gotten dumped. I called you from Wash's phone and you came over—you looked like hell, nothing like tonight."

She hesitated. "Go on."

"We talked a bit, North came home, and you left. At least, I assumed you did. I passed out somewhere around the time North got in."

"Wow, that's amazing." She smiled at him, watching him smile back.

"What is?"

"How easily lies just come to you."

He stopped moving as the smile faded. "What?"

"You just said you were dumped. I asked you at Starbucks what happened, and you said _you_ dumped _her_. Or are you forgetting your own stories already?"

"Wait, what—"

"And that night, you said that Wash was talking about me, and you were trying to convince me he was still into me. What was that about?"

"That was true—all he does is talk about you, and I assumed—"

"What's really going on, York? You said you had a secret about why we never hung out before that night."

He moved away, letting her hands drop to her sides as she remained standing, the music abruptly cutting off at the end of the CD. _Perfect timing_, she thought to herself, watching York's face for signs of a reply, maybe even honesty for once.

"Yeah, I remember that," he said, reaching up to scratch the back of his head. "I really do. I was hoping you didn't, actually."

"What could you have possibly meant by 'secret' about why we never hung out? We hadn't even met yet."

"That's not true." York shook his head, stepping a little closer. "We met that night outside the bar."

"When you were throwing up? Yeah, I can't forget _that_."

"No, just—shut up, okay?"

"That really doesn't help."

"_Lina_."

He'd never called her that. It got her attention. "Sorry."

He rolled his eyes, reaching up to lightly touch her arm. "I saw you at the club that night, _before_ we met outside. I was with North and Wash, celebrating my release from the Army, that's true. But it wasn't a coincidence that Wash came up to you and started a conversation."

"But…you were _wasted_—"

"Yeah, things didn't really go according to plan, I'll admit. And it definitely wasn't part of my plan for you to date Wash, or for Wash to kiss you."

She closed her eyes. "Oh my god, how much did he tell you about that night?"

"Enough to make me glad he struck out. You sounded like such a hassle to be around."

Carolina scowled. "If this is leading into another attempt to make me mad, it's working."

York shook his head. "No, just—okay, see, I got mad at Wash for, well, reasons I don't want to go into, and that just made things worse. I wasn't in a good place anyway; I was crashing on their couch, I didn't have a job, and when I found you at Starbucks that day I was hoping to redeem myself a little and try to fix things."

"Yeah, that didn't go well." She opened her eyes and looked up at him, seeing that he looked genuinely upset.

"I know."

"Look, this is getting a little too…intense," Carolina said in a lighter tone, trying to move away. Instead she backed herself up against the wall next to them, watching as York glanced down at the ground, his hand coming to rest at his side.

"Sorry," York said in a tone that implied he totally wasn't sorry. "It's just…I wanted to be honest with you. For once. I guess."

"Well, congratulations, you were. And now things are a little weird."

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

The atmosphere had completely changed, and she watched as York moved away to go sit on the couch, perched on the edge of the cushions, staring down at his hands. The room was dead silent as she walked over to the counter to grab her small purse, opening it to dig for her keys.

"Where are you going?"

"Home. If no one else is coming, then I guess there's no point in me—"

Arms suddenly encircled her waist and she dropped the purse, spinning around to find herself staring into York's eyes. He tightened his grip and they were pressed together, the tension in the room multiplied exponentially as her mind raced, debating between figuring out how on Earth he'd moved so quickly, so _silently_, and _why_ he had done so because as he was staring so intently at her, she was beginning to piece together so many things.

"Hey," she said quietly, instantly regretting how breathy she sounded.

"Hey," he replied, his voice low and rumbling.

"I should get going."

"If you think that's best."

They remained motionless, neither wanting to be the first to move. She felt his hands slide along her waist and a moment later the pressure was relieved as he stepped back, smiling that crooked smile she'd come to realize she really quite liked.

"Have a good night, Lina. Thanks for coming."

She blinked. "Wait, _what_?"

"It sounds like you'd rather be anywhere but here," York said, reaching up to pick off a piece of lint from his jacket sleeve.

"Well, I—I mean, I don't know."

"Articulate."

"Shut up!"

"I think I'm going to call it a night anyway." He glanced over at the clock on the stove, which read 10:01. "Clearly no one else is going to show, so I should start cleaning up."

"Do you want me to stay and help?"

"No, that's okay." He picked up a couple bottles of alcohol and carried them into the kitchen, setting them on the counter. "Be safe going home, it's getting late."

"Yeah…thanks. I will be." Carolina sighed and picked up her stuff again, going over to the front door. She glanced back, watching him re-stack plastic cups at the table, not looking in her direction. With another, quieter sigh, she left, closing the door behind her.

**Part 8**

_"DAVID! OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR, I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!"_

Carolina pounded on the door in a rhythmic fashion, not letting up even for a second. Finally after about 30 seconds it swung open to reveal Wash, half-asleep and in boxers and a t-shirt, glaring at her with a murderous look in his eyes.

"Do you have _any idea_ what fucking _time it is_?" he growled, rubbing his eyes as he stepped back to let her in. She pushed past him and threw her purse at the couch, remaining standing with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I need you to fucking talk, _right now_, and tell me _exactly _what the fuck is going on."

"_Jesus Christ_, Lina, it's after midnight and I was asleep. Mind explaining?"

"Was York's party just a ruse to get us alone together?" She watched his face for changes in his expression, but it was pretty solidly set on 'furious' for the time being.

"You are fucking _paranoid_, you know that?" Wash walked over to the couch and collapsed onto it, hugging one of the smaller pillows against his chest. "North and I were there right at eight, and we left at nine because North had a date and I was tired. I worked all day."

"You can't keep your lies straight _either_!" she practically yelled, reaching down to smack his leg. He whined and curled up, glaring up at her. "I _know_ you two weren't there because York fucking _told me you weren't_, and I know you weren't working all day because you came to see me on my break! _When you gave me the goddamn invitation_!"

Wash buried his face in the pillow, realizing he'd been made. "Sorry," he mumbled, barely audible.

"_Sorry_? You trick me into being alone with York, where he acted like he was interested in me and told me you were part of some elaborate plan to meet me but ultimately he shot me down and you're _sorry_?!"

"Wait, what?" Wash sat up, grinning. The anger was instantly gone as his eyes shone with intrigue. "_Acted_ like he was interested in you? What happened?"

"Oh, _now_ you want to gossip about boys?"

"Lina, shut the fuck up and tell me exactly what happened."

"I don't _know_ what happened! We were fighting, and then we weren't, and we danced but then we were fighting again, and I thought maybe he was going to kiss me but he told me to go home, and I did but I got mad and now here I am!"

"Okay, look, calm down." Suddenly he was wide awake as he motioned for her to sit down. She did, angrily, and he shook his head. "All right, I admit that the party was a ruse. I'm_ sorry_. York told me to invite everyone, including you—I wasn't lying about that—but then I just…_didn't_."

"But the invitation—"

"Was written by me." He was smiling and she knew he wasn't sorry at _all_. "I just thought if you two could be in a room together, you would start talking, and then maybe—"

"Maybe what, we'd have sex and make up?"

"Well, maybe not _have sex_ but yeah, maybe you'd see that you two are really good for each other and—"

"Good for each other?! All we do is fight! We've talked, what, four or five times, and either one of us is drunk or we're sniping at each other and it ends horribly! I hadn't even talked to him since that day at Starbucks, and you think we're _good for each other_?!" Her voice was rising into hysterics but she couldn't help herself. She'd never felt this betrayed before, even when her former best friend had made out with _her boyfriend_ during a party in high school. "Wash, how could you _ever_ think that we're meant to be together?!"

He threw up his hands in self-defense. "You're going super-sonic, Lina, calm down," he warned. "I said I was sorry, but I was following the bro code. He was interested in you."

"Does the bro code say to try to kiss the girl _your friend_ saw first?"

"Shit, did he bring that up?" Wash paled. "Okay, uh, well, that was a mistake on my part—but I _did_ start to like you when we met outside the bar that night. York asked me to go talk to you when we saw you and your friends leaving. He wanted to come up and be the hero or whatever, 'save you' from having to talk to me, but he was obviously a little _too_ drunk and that didn't go well. I figured why not go for it myself, but then obviously we didn't work out, so I started trying to talk to him about you. He always asked how you were doing, and I could tell he was still interested in you, but he kept refusing to hang out with us."

"Yeah, probably because it would be _super awkward_ since you and I kissed."

"_One time_! And we agreed to be just friends! And I'm over that!" Wash shook his head. "Honest. I thought it was progress when he called you that night."

"Speaking of, was he _actually_ dating someone?"

"No?"

"Oh my _god_." She stood up, clenching her hand into a tight fist. "I'm going to fucking kill him."

"What?!"

"He called me that night because he said he'd gotten dumped. When I talked to him the next week, he said _he_ was the one who dumped the girl, and wasn't even broken up about it. Which I guess makes sense,_ since there was never a girl_. He fucking lied straight to my face, three times!"

"_Dumped_? We were watching the game that night. I needed to go grocery shopping and he didn't want to come, so I left him there and by the time I got home, you and North were there and York was passed out. We hadn't even been drinking, but—" Wash cut off suddenly, starting to laugh. Carolina narrowed her eyes.

"What's so fucking funny?"

"You know what, I bet he was _faking_ being drunk that night."

"_What_?" She managed to hit a vocal range she didn't previously think was possible.

"North used to tell me stories from their college days together where York would act like he was drunk just to piss off North, who wasn't much of a drinker back in the day. Apparently he was really good at it and got into trouble on multiple occasions with their RA about 'proper school conduct' and he stopped doing it for a while, but…I wonder…"

"You think he was just _pretending_ to be drunk so I would come over and see him? That's really low."

"It's _possible_. I mean, he probably wasn't comfortable just calling you up for no reason."

She could feel herself literally shaking with anger as she sat back down, mentally trying to tell herself to breathe. "I'm going to kill him."

"Lina, he's a guy. Guys are terrible with expressing their feelings, you know that."

"Doesn't matter. Going to kill him."

"Please don't, he's one of my only friends."

The front door opened and North came inside, tossing his wallet and keys on the counter as he whistled horribly out of tune. He looked over at the couch and saw Wash and Carolina staring at him, her cheeks red with what was either anger or embarrassment and him definitely looking amused.

"Uh…what's up, guys?"

"And where are you coming from?" Wash asked, grinning.

"I was just out."

"With anyone special?"

"Nope, just me. Had some dinner, did some shopping, you know, just killing the evening."

"Until midnight?" Carolina asked.

"Oh, I saw a movie too."

"Which movie?"

"That new action one with that guy who does all the kicking. Can never remember his name, the buff one with the hair that all the girls love."

"Uh huh." Wash was obviously not buying the story, but didn't press further. Carolina stood up and grabbed her purse, looking down at Wash.

"I'm going home, I need to think."

"Please, stay here. I don't want you driving in your condition."

"Stop making it sound like I'm drunk or something. I'm fine. I just need some time to myself."

"Why don't I give you a ride home?" North offered, grabbing his keys from the counter. "I need to get gas anyway, you're on the way."

"It's okay, I have my car just outside—"

"Come on, it's fine. I haven't seen you in a while anyway. Wash keeps hogging all the Carolina time." North smiled and motioned for her to follow him. "It's late, let's get going."

"I'll call you later, Wash." She leaned down to give him a quick hug and followed North out the door, walking down to his car parked on the street. North opened the passenger door for her and she slid inside, waiting for North to get in on the driver's side.

They drove in silence for a couple minutes, her staring out the window as North fiddled with the radio, trying to find a clear station. Finally he gave up and reached over, tapping her on the knee to get her attention.

"What's up?" she asked, still thinking through everything that Wash had said.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Everything's fine." Her vision started to get blurry and she reached up, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. _Stop crying_, she lectured internally, trying to focus on the dashboard.

"You're not fine. Come on, let it out. Talk to ol' Northy."

"…_Northy_?"

"Just go with it. Talk to me."

She couldn't stop the tears from flowing and before she knew what was going on, North had pulled over to the side of the road and was leaning over the emergency brake, awkwardly holding her as she sobbed, unable to even get out _why_ she was so upset.

"Lina, it's okay."

"It's _not_ okay," she coughed out. "I don't know what he wants. I don't know if he likes me, or is just messing with me, in which case he's doing a _fantastic_ job."

"What _who_ wants? Wash?"

"No, _York_!"

"_Ohh_." North squeezed her shoulders. "I don't think York knows what he wants either."

"Not helping."

"I think you two just need to talk."

"We _did_, and things just got more confusing."

"When?"

"Tonight."

"I thought he was busy tonight. We were going to hang out but Wash said he canceled on us last minute, which is why I went out."

"Wash lied." Carolina hiccupped, trying to catch her breath. "York was having a housewarming party and told Wash to invite everyone but he only told me and I was there alone with York and we fought and it was bad."

"You, my dear, are a master of run-on sentences." North smoothed her hair, patting her head reassuringly. "You are also a master at starting arguments. Who did it this time, you or York?"

"Both of us. I don't know."

North sighed. "Do you want me to talk to him?"

"_No_!"

"Do you want me to call your friends? Connie maybe, or Dakota—"

"I want to be alone."

"If that's what you want."

He hugged her again and pulled away, starting the engine again. They continued driving and eventually got to her apartment, where she climbed out of the car. North got out and came around to her side, grabbing her in a gigantic bear hug, holding her tightly.

"I know he's hard to understand," he said quietly, not letting go of her. "Everything will work out eventually."

"Thanks." She hugged him back and he kissed the top of her head, smiling down at her.

"And don't be too mad at Wash. He was only trying to help."

"He sucks at helping."

"He knows."

She laughed and let go of him, walking up to the apartment building door. "Thanks, North," she called over her shoulder.

"Night, Lina."


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 9**

_Wash (3:42pm): Rain check on dinner? Swamped with work, gotta get the spring planning to my boss by tomorrow morning_

_Lina (3:45pm): Seriously? I haven't seen you in weeks :(_

_Wash (4:09pm): Ugh, sorry, I just can't get this shit to work right. I hate computers. Yeah, I know, I miss you too but work, you know_

_Lina (4:15pm): Yeah, fine, whatever._

_Wash (4:16pm): Don't be ma :3 _

_Lina (4:19pm): Call me if you get some time for dinner. Guess I'll just hang out at home._

_Wash (4:35pm): Ever get your furnace fixed?_

_Lina (4:40pm): Nope, because my landlord sucks. :(_

_Wash (4:50pm): Why don't you go hang out at our place? North hates the cold so it's always a good 85 degrees in there :/_

_Lina (4:52pm): I might do that, actually. And probably steal some of your food, haven't had time to shop. Thanks for the offer :)_

_Wash (5:01pm): I might be really late, so save me some food :(_

Carolina tucked her phone in her pocket and signed out of the computer, realizing it was past 5pm and time to go home. She grabbed her coat hanging from the back of her chair and wrapped it around herself, preparing to go outside.

Winter in California wasn't really that bad, but when it got down into the low fifties, it was time to dig out the warmer coats. October was halfway over and it'd been getting chillier, which Carolina hated. She preferred spring and fall when she could wear boots with skirts and regular shirts, not her stuffy winter jacket that was a size too small and suffocated her if she tried to wear a scarf with it.

Things had almost returned to normal since York's ill-fated 'party,' but the two of them hadn't been in a room together for longer than fifteen seconds since then. If York was there whenever she came over to Wash and North's apartment, he would make some excuse and practically run out the door. Not that she was any better; if she knew he was going to be wherever everyone else was gathering, she made lame excuses and came late to avoid running into him.

(break)

_"This is ridiculous," Dakota whined, slapping Carolina on the arm as she sat down at the table. "York is perfectly nice to hang out with, why do you keep doing this?"_

_"I'm not doing anything," she defended, grabbing a menu from the table. North rolled his eyes and took a sip of water from his glass as Wash shook his head._

_"I don't know whose behavior is worse, yours or his," Wash said. "I mean, at least he makes an effort to hang out with everyone. You show up late or not at all."_

_CT clasped her hands together under her chin, giving Carolina a sappy look. "Aw, look at the two idiots in love! If only they could have that magical evening where everything works out and they kiss under the stars!"_

_"That sounds like a great movie!" North laughed, poking CT. She nodded and they looked at the rest of the group, who were looking at them strangely. "What? I like movies," North mumbled, scooting a couple of inches away from CT._

_"You've been avoiding each other for over a month now, it's stupid. Just call him. Or let me talk to him."_

_"No, Wash. I don't want to deal with it. Just leave us alone, he'll get over whatever stupid feelings he thought he had for me, and when he's ready to be mature we'll work it out."_

_"Man, what's it like being the pot?" Dakota asked, shaking her head._

_"What?"_

_"Pot, kettle, black—_god_, never mind." She sighed. "Just let me know when it's safe to talk about him."_

_"You can talk about him! You can even hang out with him, I don't care! I just don't want to be around him."_

_"Well, you're gonna have to get over that because I'm having my birthday party next month and everyone is gonna be there and that includes both of you."_

_"Dakotaaaa—"_

_"What did I _just say_?!"_

_(break)_

Carolina climbed into her car and started the engine, debating between going home or over to Wash's where there was a higher likelihood of edible food being available. And heat. She smiled and the decision was made, turning on her blinker to pull into traffic.

Luckily Wash and North's apartment was pretty close to her work, and they'd given her a key a while back. She occasionally stopped in to drop off snacks or cakes that her coworkers gave her, since she didn't have much of a sweet tooth and North would cry if he found out she just threw that stuff away. She made it there in record time, considering traffic was a giant disaster a few blocks away from her work because of an accident. The apartment building appeared quiet, since most everyone was probably still at work. She parked and went inside, heading up the stairs to their apartment.

She unlocked the door and pushed it, struggling a little since the wood had warped over the previous summer and made it a little tougher to actually open most days. She kept bothering them to find a nicer place when their lease was up, but North argued that the place was cheap and that's all that mattered. Locking the door behind her, she dropped her coat and keys on the dining room table, heading for the refrigerator. As she opened it she could swear she heard angels singing, blessing the various dishes of leftovers from North's solo cooking adventures. Despite the crap she'd given Wash for getting North that "Cooking For Two" book of recipes, she was immensely grateful he'd genuinely been enjoying it.

Holding the door open with her leg, she reached in and grabbed a bowl of mashed potatoes and a container of something that was hopefully chicken-based, setting them on the counter. She grabbed a soda and shut the fridge, reaching up for a plate from the cabinet. A sound coming from the bathroom caught her attention and she frowned, setting the plate down.

"Hello?" she called out, wondering if North was actually home. "North?"

No answer came and she glanced at the food, wondering if checking for a home invasion outweighed her desire to eat. Deciding to check it out, she walked over to the hallway, glancing down it before going into Wash's bedroom. The bathroom door on his side was closed but the light was on, shining underneath the door frame. She hated how the bathroom was shared by both bedrooms, each with their own door.

"I swear to God, North, if that's you and you're just fucking with me—" She pushed the door open with a flourish, stepping back as though that would save her if someone attacked.

The bathroom was empty. The mirror had some slight condensation across the top, she noticed, as though someone had recently used the shower. The door opposite her was partially open and she could see into North's room, directly viewing his bed, which seemed to be untouched.

"Did he leave just before I got here?" Carolina asked aloud to herself, confused. She switched off the bathroom light and shut the door, walking back through Wash's room and into the hallway. As she approached the kitchen, she found her plate put away and the food repacked, waiting to be put back in the fridge.

"What the fuck—"

"Dude, Wash, you gotta learn to unload the dryer, I hate finding your _JESUS CHRIST_!"

Carolina screamed and whirled around to find York standing at the entrance to the kitchen, having apparently just dropped a basket of what was likely Wash's delicates. As the air returned to her lungs, she slowly realized that York was still standing there, paralyzed and looking terrified…wearing only a small striped towel wrapped around his waist.

Her vision went white and the last thing she saw was York rushing to grab her as she fell, apparently oblivious to the fact that his towel had slipped away, revealing one of the most toned male bodies she'd ever seen.

(break)

"Carolina? Oh god, don't make me do CPR, c'mon, I haven't had to since high school and I don't remember how—"

"_Shut up_," she said weakly, struggling to open her eyes.

"Oh thank _god_, are you okay?"

She let out a groan and attempted to sit up, but strong hands pushed her back down onto what she finally realized was a bed. The décor in the room didn't seem familiar; it was probably North's room that they were in. "What…what happened?"

York let out a sigh of relief, rubbing her arm. "You fainted and hit your head on the kitchen floor, which probably didn't feel very good."

"Not so much." She rolled over and curled into herself, pulling her arm away from York's touch. Looking up at him, she saw that he was dressed in jeans and a white fitted t-shirt, not doing much to help wipe her previous image of him out of her mind. "What are you doing here?"

"My water's on the fritz and North said I could use their shower. What are _you_ doing here?"

"Eating their food and using their heat," she replied, feeling less embarrassed. "Sounds like we both need new apartments."

"Yeah, you got that right." York chuckled, scooting away from her. He spun himself around and she felt the mattress bounce as he laid down, his head about a foot from her own, folding his hands on his chest. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I doubt this headache is going to go away anytime soon, but yeah, I'll probably be fine," she reassured him.

"I can take you to the hospital."

"No need, really. I'll just…lie here for a bit." She yawned and closed her eyes, but felt York shaking her arm a second later and reopened them to see him frowning at her.

"Hey, no, no sleeping. That's, like, the _last_ thing you should do after hitting your head."

"What, are you a doctor now or something?"

"Jeez, just trying to help. Don't need you dying on me."

"I'm not going to _die_, I'm just _tired_."

"Finally tired of ignoring me, you mean?"

She narrowed her eyes. "You've been ignoring me too; don't try to pin this all on me."

"See, there you go—no sleep for you when you can be fighting!"

"_God_, York—"

"Hey, we need to talk about it sometime, don't we?"

"Talk about what?" She braced herself and sat up, watching the room slightly spin around her.

"Why you suddenly blew me off after that night." York sounded annoyed, but she detected a hint of disappointment. "I mean, I know it was awkward, but I didn't think it went_ that_ badly."

Carolina struggled to organize her thoughts, remembering why she'd been so angry that many weeks ago. "It wasn't because of what you said, it was what you _did_," she replied. "The first night we spent together."

"At the bar? I already—"

"Not the bar; at Wash's place. When you were 'drunk.'" She accented the word with air quotes and watched his face for a reaction. It stayed stoic.

"Why the quotes?"

"Because Wash told me your little 'faking being drunk' stunt you used to pull on North."

"Yeah, to piss him off and distract him from studying. Carolina, what are you implying?"

"Just tell me the truth."

"About?..."

"Were you really dating anyone? Did anyone _really _get dumped?"

"No."

York answered so quickly, without any hint of hesitation, that it threw her off momentarily. "No?"

"That's what you wanted, right? The truth?" York shrugged awkwardly, still lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "Then no. The truth is I wasn't seeing anyone. I lied. I _lied_ because I had to have a _reason_ to get you to come over."

"You could have just asked to hang out, like a normal person."

"And you would have? What if I'd called and said, 'Hey, Carolina, this is York, Wash's friend? The one that nearly threw up on you at the bar? Surely you remember me; anyway, I just wanted to hang out, because I think you're pretty cool. I got your number from Wash's phone without asking. Come over at eight?' Would you would have come over?"

Carolina rolled her eyes and instantly regretted it as a fresh wave of pain hit her in the back of the head. "Well, _no_, not if you'd asked like _that_, but you still could have tried."

"Right."

"Fine, whatever. See, York, _that's_ your problem—you instantly assume the worst and refuse to actually give anyone a chance."

"Wow, _that's_ a crock of _shit_!" he exclaimed, sitting up to look her in the eyes. "Just how many fucking chances have I given _you_? Constantly accusing me of lying, being antagonistic over the stupidest things—you are one of the most infuriating people I've _ever_ had to deal with!"

"Then stop dealing with me! We had a great thing going these past couple months with the ignoring, we can go back to that."

"Is that what _you_ want?"

"I don't know!" Carolina reached up and rubbed her eyes. "I don't know how to deal with being _around_ you, York. I just don't, and I feel bad because it makes Wash sad and him being sad is like kicking a puppy."

"Don't let _Wash_ make your life decisions, you moron."

"See, and all the insulting, that doesn't—"

"_Lina_! Just—just _shut_ _up_!"

Before she had a chance to think of a retort she was being pushed down onto the bed, York's lips pressed against hers, applying enough pressure to make her completely lose her train of thought. His strong hands were cupped around her face, holding her steady as their lips worked together. After a few moments he stopped the kiss and pulled away a couple of inches, and she opened her eyes to see him smiling at her with that infuriating crooked smile.

"See how things can go if you stop yelling at me?" York whispered, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

"Lecturing, not yelling," she corrected, having no idea what else to say. She broke contact with his gaze and followed the trail of the scar covering his left eye. She reached up and lightly traced a finger over the faded white lines that spun away like a spider web.

"So what now?"

She was about to lean in and kiss him again when the sound of the front door slamming made them both freeze.

"Carolina? Are you here?"

North's voice echoed into the room and York jumped up, looking slightly panicked. Carolina rapidly waved her arms in an attempt to signal him to stay quiet and he nodded, ducking into the bathroom. The door shut quietly just as North walked into his room, flipping through a stack of mail.

"Oh, hey, _there_ you are. I saw your car outside. Did Wash tell you to come eat here again?"

She nodded, still sitting on the bed. "Yeah. The heat's still out at my place, and he said it was okay."

"So…why are you in _my_ room?"

"I was tired, and Wash's room is a mess."

"True enough. Sorry if I woke you up, you look kind of…frazzled."

She smiled and shook her head. "No, I just laid down, no big deal. What are you doing home?"

"I forgot my wallet," North replied, reaching over to grab it from on top of his dresser. "Yeah, I know, not smart driving without it, but what are you gonna do? Anyway, I'm late for hanging out with Connie, so I'll talk to you later."

"Oh, okay. Another 'movie date'?" she asked.

"We really _do_ just see movies, if that's what you're trying to hint at," he said with a smirk. "I gotta run." He waved and left the room, followed by the slamming of the door again. Carolina collapsed back on the bed, her head spinning again.

**Part 10**

Something was up.

North sat on the far end of the couch, watching everyone else watch the football game. Dakota was next to him, sharing a blanket with Carolina while Wash crouched on the other end, sipping a beer. York was sitting on the floor in front of Wash, munching on a bowl of chips in between yelling at the ref, while CT was in the chair on North's other side, nearly asleep from sheer boredom. Occasionally she'd stir when York yelled, but otherwise was pretty much out. At least it was better than her constantly complaining about being forced to watch sports.

He couldn't put his finger on what was different, but over the last few weeks had just seemed…_off_.

Maybe it was the time they all went to the movies. They had a system of sitting girl-boy-girl, so that the order was usually Carolina-Wash-CT-North-Dakota-York, putting Carolina and York at complete opposite ends to minimize the sniping or remarks like 'North, can you please tell York to stop eating so loudly' or 'Wash, can you tell Carolina to drink her soda like a human being and not a dog?' being hurled in low, even tones. But a couple of weeks ago at the last outing, York had followed Carolina up the stairs instead of going in last and hesitated when she sat down, as though he was going to swap with Wash. Dakota had made him move so she could sit down and they ended up in their usual order, with North noticing that Carolina almost looked disappointed. The insults had been at a minimum as well, with things almost seeming civil.

Or maybe it was last Tuesday. Carolina had tagged along with Wash and the guys when they went out to play pool, and North had noticed a moment when Carolina and York were laughing together over something before he and Wash came back from the bar with drinks. They quickly separated and it was only a minute before York told her to 'take the fucking shot before they all died from boredom,' but it was strange.

It _could_ be the fact that York hadn't been coming around their place as often that was tipping off North. Supposedly he'd gotten his water fixed, but he'd stopped crashing their meals so often. Come to think of it, so had Carolina. He hadn't thought anything of it before, but something was beginning to add up in his head.

"Oh, come on!" Carolina and York shouted in unison as the ref made a particularly dumb call. They glanced at each other and quickly York was saying 'Like you know _anything_ about football' and Carolina was sniping back 'more than _you_, dick' but it was the _way_ they were saying the words, without any real _menace_ behind them, that made North frown.

"Hey, York, come help me in the kitchen real fast," North said, standing up. Dakota made an annoyed noise as the balance was interrupted and York set his bowl of chips on the floor, hauling himself to his feet. They went into the kitchen and North grabbed his arm, getting York's attention rather quickly.

"Dude, is something going on between you and Carolina?" he asked.

"_Carolina_? Ugh, _no_." York wrinkled his nose. "She's so goddamned annoying."

"Yeah, for sure. Are you lying? I can tell when you're lying."

"_Sure_, Mr. 'I've never won a game of poker with the guys, ever.'" York laughed. "Why are you bringing this up now?"

"I just thought—something seems different between you two, that's all."

"Nothing different. Don't worry, she's still stupid."

"Good to know."

"Am I excused now?" York jerked a thumb over his shoulder towards the television. "We're missing overtime."

"Yeah, go."

North watched him walk back over to the couch and settle into his spot, picking up the chips. He started eating them as Carolina glanced over to North with a raised eyebrow. He smiled and waved at her, turning to grab a beer from the fridge before going heading back to finish the game.

(break)

Wash thanked the waitress as she refilled his water glass, winking at her before she walked away. She gave him an amused smile in return and left the table, disappearing into the kitchen as he turned his attention back to the situation at hand, which was York pestering Carolina by nudging her plate around as she tried to eat.

"So, my lease is almost over and I've got to figure out where to move to," Carolina said, taking a bite of her sandwich over a glare at York, who grinned sadistically in return. "Anyone have any input?" she asked around a mouthful of bread and turkey.

"You could move into our building," Wash offered with a smile. "I think there's a place opening up downstairs, a nice two-bedroom."

"What would I need with two bedrooms?"

"Maybe you'll meet a guy?" York supplied, reaching over to steal one of her chips. She glared at him and he popped it into his mouth, chewing triumphantly.

"What, someone like _you_? No thanks."

"I'm not indicative of the _entire_ male species, you know!"

"Hey now, _stop_," Wash interrupted. What the hell was_ with_ these two lately? The fighting had seemingly intensified, but when they _did_ snipe at each other it was half-hearted insults with the occasional specific jab. He was glad to see they could be in the same room again, but it was getting frustrating to be around. "Carolina, you've _got_ to move out of that shitty apartment. You too, York."

York shrugged. "I'm cheap, so _my_ shitty place is just fine for now."

"Do you want me to look into pricing for the place in our building, Carolina?"

She shook her head. "I can do it. I've been checking around anyway, and can't find anything."

Wash nodded and took a drink of water, watching York, who was glancing at Carolina with a strange look in his eyes. She avoided his look and continued eating.

(break)

"Hey, Carolina, come grab this box and help me lift it," York called out, struggling to carry one of her boxes filled with books. She put down the lamp she was carrying and went over, putting her arms underneath the other side to help steady him. They started walking their way to the door and stumbled down the stairs, meeting Wash down at the moving van ramp. He helped guide the box onto a stack of other ones and York stepped back, wiping his hands on his jeans.

"You have way too many books, _Belle_," he quipped, shaking his head. Carolina scowled.

"Just because you're not cultured—"

"Oh, does culture constitute _romance novels_ now? Then you're—"

"So what if that's what I like to read, you could probably _learn_—"

Wash threw up his hands and stalked out of the van as they continued bickering at each other, their voices getting louder with each retort. Finally he was out of earshot and York reached out to grab Carolina by the arms, pushing her up against a stack of boxes and pressing his body to hers. She tilted her chin up and they shared a passionate kiss, nearly knocking over the boxes as they both wrestled for dominance. Her leg slid between his and a chuckle escaped his lips as he broke the kiss, shaking his head.

"Not here," he warned, glancing over to the opening of the van.

"Real quick," she whispered, leaning up to kiss him lightly, running her tongue along his upper lip. He let out an involuntary shiver and kissed her slowly, just slightly biting her lower lip.

"Lina—"

Whistling floated into the van and they broke apart hastily, both pretending to rearrange boxes on opposite sides. North popped his head in seconds later and the whistling stopped.

"Hey guys, we need help carrying the couch down. Break it up and get up there."

"We weren't fighting," York said, walking out of the van and down the ramp. Carolina followed and North smiled at her as they passed.

"Didn't say you were," he said lightly, falling into step behind Carolina. She coughed as though someone had smacked her on the back and York glanced back, a worried look on his face. "Oh, don't worry, I won't tell anyone," he added with a shit-eating grin. Carolina and York completely came to a stop and North went around them, disappearing up the stairs.

(break)

"This is gonna be _awesome_ having you so close!" Wash did a little spin move in the living room, nearly taking out a lamp. "See, aren't you glad you got this place?"

Carolina smiled with a nod. "Yeah, because now I can go upstairs and steal your food whenever I want! I'll never have to go grocery shopping again."

North pat her on the back with a sigh. "Guess that means I better go pick up stuff for dinner, huh?"

"It _is_ getting late," she agreed.

"Fine, fine. Wash, come with me to the store."

"But I'm so _tired_, take York instead."

"York's stronger than you. He can stay here and help arrange furniture."

"_Hey_!" York protested from the floor where he'd been lying for ten minutes, exhausted. "I'm done moving shit. Carolina can do the rest of the work as far as I'm concerned. Why didn't Dakota or CT help, anyway?"

"Dakota backed out because she sucks, and CT had to work all day," Carolina said. "Now get up and help me put some of these boxes into storage."

York let out a string of curses as he sat up, pinching the front of his shirt to pull it away from his skin in an effort to cool down. Wash rolled his eyes.

"It's not _that_ hot."

"You didn't do as much lifting as me!"

"C'mon, Wash." North grabbed his keys from the counter and they left, leaving York grumbling as he got to his feet, glaring at the boxes surrounding them.

"Okay, what boxes need to get—"

He couldn't finish the rest of his sentence because Carolina was instantly on him, throwing her arms around his neck, pressing their lips together. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up, kissing her deeply as her legs wrapped around his waist, locking them together.

"Bedroom?" he managed to say between kisses.

"Bedroom."

York carried her down the hallway and kicked open the halfway-closed bedroom door, maneuvering around various boxes and the dresser sitting in the direct pathway to the barely set-up bed. He tossed Carolina down onto the mattress and she laughed as he stretched in the path of the air conditioning vent, letting out a sigh of relief.

"It's not_ that_ hot," she said, mimicking Wash's tone.

"_You_ are," he replied as he climbed onto the mattress, kissing her collarbone. She giggled and gripped a handful of his shirt, struggling to pull it off. It got caught on his head and he let out a choking noise, pulling away.

"You're gonna kill me!" came the muffled complaint as he pulled it off, dropping it to the floor. They kissed again as his hands lifted up the hem of her t-shirt, slipping underneath the material.

"How much time do you think we have?" she whispered, leaning around to kiss his cheek and run her tongue down his jawline.

"God_dammit_, stop _doing _that, you _know_ what it does to me—"

"Which is _why_ I do it," she said, kissing him deeply. He relaxed his body against her and moved his hands out from between them, sliding them down towards her waist. He started fumbling with the button on her jeans as she ran her hands down his back, lightly scraping the skin with her nails. York let out a strangled groan and shivered, his fingers finally figuring out the intricacies of her jeans and getting them unbuttoned, shoving them down.

"Maybe half an hour?" he said, his voice heavy with lust.

"Good enough."


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 11**

"Do I _have_ to come to your birthday party?" Carolina fake-whined, unpacking one of her boxes of books to load them onto a bookshelf.

Dakota looked up from where she was draped over the couch and glared at her. "_Yes_. You've known about it for weeks now, and I know that's why you planned your moving weekend _right during it_ but that's no excuse."

"So who's all going?"

"Wow, real subtle."

"_What_?"

"Yes, _York_ is coming. So are Wash and North, and a few of my friends from work, so there'll be some new blood there. Therefore you guys need to be on your best behavior. Do you think you can fake getting along for three hours or so?"

Carolina shrugged. "If I _have_ to. Can't promise anything on his behalf, though."

"He already agreed he'd try. I have text message proof to shove in his face if he acts up."

"Good."

"All right, I'm gonna get going. Be there at seven, and _don't_ be late or I'll make you hang out with York all evening." She swung her legs off the couch and grabbed her coat and purse. "See you then!" she called over her shoulder as she flounced out the door, leaving Carolina to her books and boxes.

Carolina sighed and pulled out her phone, which she had felt vibrate with multiple unread messages. She hadn't wanted to check them while Dakota was over because York's texts often made her laugh, and she didn't need Dakota asking her what was so funny and wanting to read them for herself.

_York (11:29am): Hey babe ;) what's going on_

_York (12:12pm): Okay, I see, ignoring me now. That's what our relationship has become. Me putting in all the effort and you taking me for granted :(_

_York (1:01pm): Seriously I'm dying at work today please text me back, construction is hard work and I need the distraction and I guess you'll do (me) (haha I'm funny right)_

_York (1:34pm): Babe ur killing me, come on where are you? Tell Wash to shove it up his ass and let you answer your phone!_

_York (2:15pm): Alright I give up babe, you win, you can do whatever you want to me later ;) you broke me, I concede!_

It was already after 3pm but she tried calling him anyway, getting his voicemail. "Hey, sorry, Dakota was over and I was unpacking so I didn't get to my phone. She said you're going to her birthday party tonight, so we should figure that out. I'm getting there around seven, so maybe you should show up a bit later? Call me back." She hung up and tossed the phone on the couch, going back to the bookshelves as she tried to figure out how she wanted to arrange stuff.

After a short while she gave up unpacking and sat on the couch, leaning back on the comfortable, cooled cushions. She closed her eyes and settled in.

"Just a quick nap," she muttered to herself, feeling her body already beginning to shut down. Moving was way too much work.

(break)

Carolina woke up with a start to something vibrating underneath her. She dug around in between the cushions and found her ringing phone, and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Where the hell _are_ you? Everyone's already here!" Dakota's pissed-off voice carried past the speaker and she winced, pulling the phone away to check the time. It was 7:42pm.

"_Shit_, I was asleep!" Carolina jumped off the couch and started tearing off her dirt-covered pants, half-running to the bedroom. "Shit shit _shit_, I'll be there in thirty minutes!" She hung up and flung the phone onto her bed along with her jeans, then dashed towards the bathroom. The water started flowing from the showerhead and she ran back to her closet to pick out an outfit, realizing a second later that half of her clothes, including most of her nice ones, were still packed. She swore loudly and started tearing through a box in an effort to find a nice skirt and top, and heard the water running, remembering that if she didn't get in soon, the hot water would be gone.

"Son of a—"

(break)

Carolina knocked on Dakota's apartment door right at 8:15pm, hoping she looked okay. She'd tossed her hair up into a messy, still-slightly-damp bun and had successfully located an emerald green sequined top and cream-colored skirt with a lace overlay, paired with a pair of black heels. With barely any time left she'd applied a little mascara and eye shadow, but hadn't bothered with anything else.

The door swung open and Dakota was instantly giving her the evil eye, ushering her inside. Everyone was indeed already there; Wash and North were talking with a guy she didn't recognize, CT was sitting on the couch talking to a couple of women she didn't recognize, and York was in the kitchen, refilling a drink.

"Hey, look everyone, it's Caro-late-a," York called out, setting down the bottle of vodka to wave at her. She scowled at him and opened the closet door, hanging up her coat and tossing her purse on the kitchen counter.

"Wow, _good_ one," she replied, reaching for an empty cup.

"Sorry, haven't had time to come up with anything really witty," he said with a grin, offering her the counter with a flourish. She grabbed a bottle of whiskey and poured herself a small amount, taking a sip. York smiled at her as she set the bottle down.

"Do you want some?" she offered. Before York could reply, she continued. "Oh, that's right, you don't really drink, do you? You just _fake it_."

A flash of irritation passed through his face but he recovered, his smile unwavering. "At least I know _how_ to fake something," he replied, loudly enough that CT could hear them as she passed through to get more ice.

"_Oooh_, Lina, that is a _burn_. Dude, you just got _burned_. Burn, dude, _burn_," she said, tilting her cup underneath the automatic ice dispenser in the fridge. Carolina reached over and smacked her in the back of the head.

"Shut the fuck up, CT."

"Oh, whatever. Get back to your angry flirting." She ducked another blow and hurried back to the couch, leaving the two of them standing awkwardly in the kitchen.

"Well, I better—"

"I guess I'll go—"

They both smiled and quickly parted ways, and York slipped in a 'you look stunning' as he passed by her to go stand with Dakota, who was talking to a couple holding hands. Carolina fought off a blush and grabbed her cup, walking over to Wash and North to give them each a hug.

Four hours later most of the guests had left, leaving the group scattered around the apartment, conversing in smaller groups. Dakota stood up and clapped her hands together a few times to get everyone's attention.

"Focus!" she said loudly, and everyone looked up at her. Carolina was sitting on the couch with York, Wash lying down with his legs propped up over their laps. North and CT were discussing some movie over at the dining room table, complete with North wildly gesturing about something. York kept poking Carolina in the ribs, and Wash kept kicking at him, nearly kicking her in the face as a result. "As birthday girl, who is now 25 years old—"

"You mean 27—"

"Shut the fuck up, CT, I'm 25 and that's final—anyway, as the birthday girl who is 25 years young, I demand that we play a party game. You guys choose—it's either King's Cup or Spin the Bottle."

"Oh my god, are we in high school?" York said with a laugh.

"Shut the fuck up, York, this is my party, we've established this. Now, show of hands—who wants to play King's Cup?" Carolina and Wash held up their hands. "Spin the Bottle?" CT and York held up their hands. "North, you have to vote."

North looked over at Carolina, who raised an eyebrow at him. "Well…if it's up to me, then…" He put a finger to his chin and looked intensely at the tabletop in thought. "I suppose Spin the Bottle sounds more…_entertaining_."

"YAY!" CT cheered. North got up from the table and went to grab an empty wine bottle from the kitchen as York and Wash got up to move the living room table and chairs out of the way. They all settled in on the floor, the girls alternating spots with the guys.

"Now as the birthday girl, Dakota should go first," York said, gesturing to her. She grinned and reached out to spin the wine bottle, gripping it hard to make sure she got good speed on it. It spun around a few times and landed facing Wash, who paled slightly.

"Oh Jesus, are we _really_ doing this?"

Dakota crawled over towards the center of the circle, grinning. "C'mere, Washy," she giggled, obviously tipsy. He rolled his eyes and leaned towards her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Boo, you _loser_," York lectured, shaking his head as Dakota got back to her spot. "It's supposed to be _real _kisses, dork."

Wash blushed, glaring at him. "Shut up," he muttered. "I am _not_ comfortable with this game. I have a girlfriend!"

"You have a girl who occasionally calls you from Canada," North corrected. Carolina opened her mouth to question what _that_ was about but Dakota interrupted her.

"Your turn!" Dakota said, pointing at Wash. He reached out and grabbed the bottle, spinning it. It landed a few seconds later on Carolina, who laughed. He turned an even deeper shade of crimson and crawled into the circle, watching as Carolina did the same. After a moment of hesitation they kissed on the lips, letting it last a few seconds to appease the masses. Dakota let out a whoop and North started laughing as Wash sat back in his spot, trying to avoid the mocking remarks York was shooting at him.

Carolina reached out and spun the bottle, watching as it circled the group, threatening to land on one of the girls. It slowed down and finally stopped between CT and York. The two of them looked at each other and York grinned.

"You wanna take this one, CT?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrow.

"Yeah, no, you can," she said with a laugh. York groaned.

"Fine, I'll take one for the team," he said, gesturing for Carolina to come over. "It was your spin, you come over here."

"Come on, everyone _else_ met halfway!" she argued.

"I don't _care_ what everyone else did, just come over here!"

"_You_ come over _here_!"

"_Oh my god why can't you guys just fucking play the game_?" CT yelled, reaching out to grab Carolina's arm. She pulled her forward and planted a kiss on Carolina's lips, prompting a delighted shout from North. She sat back down and Carolina moved back to her spot, wanting to die of embarrassment. CT reached out and spun it again, watching it land between her and York again.

"Oh, whatever," York said, reaching over to grab CT in his arms. He pulled her close and kissed her with what looked like real passion, letting the rest of the group holler and yell with approval. He let her go with a grin and she settled back onto her heels.

"Shit, York's a good kisser," she said, looking flushed. York laughed and spun the bottle, crossing his fingers and muttering 'land on Dakota, land on Dakota' as a mantra. The bottle slowed down and pointed directly at Carolina, with no doubt about the direction it was facing.

"Okay, are you two going to play nice this time?" North asked, winking at Carolina. She glared at him and stood up, putting her hands on her hips.

"Only if York does," she replied, looking down at York, who had a bemused look on his face. He grinned and stood up, meeting her in the center of the circle.

"Are you prepared for my amazingness?" he asked.

"Please, let's get this over with before I get sick. I already feel nauseous."

York reached out and took her face in his hands, pulling her towards him. Their lips met and they melted into each other. Carolina wrapped her arms around York's waist and pushed herself against him, their kiss becoming more passionate by the second. Finally they broke apart and stood there, breathing heavily, staring into each other's eyes.

"What…the fuck…was that?" asked a confused-sounding Dakota.

Carolina's mouth tried to form words, but she was unable to find any previously existing vocabulary in her head. She watched York's face go pale, his cheeks nearly matching his scar.

North stood up and pulled the two of them apart, pushing York back over to his spot in the circle. Wash stood up and grabbed Carolina's arm, dragging her away towards Dakota's bedroom.

"Okay, I think we're done," North announced. "Time for birthday cake!"

**Part 12**

Carolina bounced off the bed after Wash pushed her down onto it, sitting down next to her. "Spill," he ordered.

She couldn't tell if he was upset or excited. "Uh…about what?"

"Don't do that. How long have you guys been together?"

She shrugged. "A month or so?"

"Since _when_?!"

"You know when my heat was out, and I went over to your place?"

"_Dude_, I meant for you to use our _furnace_, not _York_!"

Someone knocked on the door and they both looked up to see York leaning against the doorframe, looking embarrassed and humiliated. Wash started laughing and when Carolina looked back to him, he was practically in tears from laughing so hard.

"You guys—you're just so—goddamn _stupid_!" he choked out, pointing at York. "Been trying to get you two together for _months_ now and all it took was a fucking _broken furnace and busted water pipes_?!"

York scowled and jerked a thumb over his shoulder, indicating that Wash needed to leave the room immediately. He continued laughing and stumbled back towards the living room. York shut the door behind him, going to sit down on the bed next to Carolina.

"You okay?" he asked quietly, reaching over to take her hand.

She nodded. "Pretty much mortified, but yeah, other than that I'm fantastic."

"Yeah, me too." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "They had to find out sometime, right?"

"Well, sure, but I wish we'd had a little more time to ourselves."

"We have _plenty_ of time to ourselves," he reassured her with a smile. "Besides, now we don't have to fake fight all the time. That's a relief."

"True."

"We should probably go back out there, North was trying to calm the girls down."

"Oh god." A fresh wave of embarrassment flooded through her and she closed her eyes, burying her head in her hands.

"Come on, babe, it's okay. Who cares what they think?" York rubbed her back lightly.

"_I_ do! I should have been honest with them from the start."

"Eh, whatever." He stopped rubbing her back and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. "Let's just get it over with, okay?"

She heaved a sigh. "Okay."

They held hands and stood up, checking over each other to make sure they looked okay. York grinned at her and she smiled back, following him out into the living room where the others were waiting. North and Wash were reclining on the couch, Wash's head on North's shoulder as they laughed over something. Dakota was carving up her birthday cake in the kitchen, with CT helping put slices onto paper plates with plastic forks.

"Do either of you want cake?" Dakota asked, waving the large carving knife towards York and Carolina.

"Uh…yeah, actually, sugar sounds great right now." York let go of Carolina's hand and walked over to the kitchen, taking a plate from CT. He carried it over to the dining room table and settled in, attacking the cake as though he hadn't eaten in days. Carolina stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do.

"Lina? Cake?" Dakota gestured to the cake slices. "Yes, no, maybe?"

"Uh, no thanks. I'm okay for now."

"You don't have to stand there, you know." CT pointed at the table where York was eating. "Go join your boyfriend at the table."

Dakota snickered as Carolina felt her cheeks begin to burn. She stalked over to the table and sat down opposite York, who grinned up at her, frosting covering his upper lip.

"You sure you don't want any?" he asked, offering her the half-eaten slice. "It's really good."

"No, I'm good. You've got frosting on your mouth."

"Oh." York darted out his tongue and ran it over his upper lip, licking away the frosting as he winked at her with his good eye. "Thanks."

"So I'm gonna need _details_," Dakota announced, leaving the kitchen to come sit between Carolina and York at the table. York became intensely interested in the remainder of his cake. "When, where, why, the whole deal."

Carolina rolled her eyes. "A little over a month ago, Wash and North's place, it just sort of happened. There, happy?"

Dakota shrugged. "More confused and surprised, but yeah, happy I guess. Are _you_ guys happy?"

York and Carolina looked at each other and smiled. "_I'm_ pretty happy," York replied, reaching out to poke Carolina's arm. "Can't speak for her though."

"I'm happy," she agreed.

"Well, I'm out," North said, standing up from the couch. Wash stood up as well and they grabbed their coats from the front closet, putting them on. "It's been a great party, but a long night, and I need sleep," he announced, walking over to the table to hug Dakota. "Happy birthday, sweetie, and I hope you had a great night."

"Well, I did until it got weird," she replied, giving Carolina a _look_. She smiled back and shrunk away slightly. "Thanks for coming, guys!"

"Sorry for leaving during such a crucial time, but I'm exhausted," Wash added, fighting back a yawn. He hugged Dakota and waved at the others, following North out the door.

CT stretched dramatically and wiggled her eyebrows at York. "I think it's time for me to hit the sack too. Wanna come along?" she asked, shaking her hips towards him. "We could make out some more…"

"I'm good, thanks." York smiled uncomfortably as CT shrugged at him and headed down the hallway to her bedroom.

"So, I'm still kind of curious about all of…_this_," Dakota said, pointing at the two of them in turn. "I thought you guys _hated_ each other."

"You know how you can hate someone and then sorta realize you don't _really_ hate them?" York said, digging his fork into the remainder of his cake. "Well, it wasn't like that at all. I mean, I actually _liked_ Lina here _before _I hated her. It's kind of a long story."

"Wash was supposed to hook us up, but he and I went on that date, and things got complicated," Carolina added, smiling. "So we got off on the wrong foot, and we fought all the time, but then things sort of just…clicked, I guess."

"About a month ago?"

"Give or take."

"And exactly how many times have you_ clicked_ since then?"

Carolina went red and started sputtering "_Dakota_!" at the same time York said "Well, at least a dozen," prompting Carolina to shove her head underneath her arms on top of the table, letting out a defeated groan as York grinned triumphantly. Dakota started laughing and stood up, patting Carolina on the back.

"Very happy for you," she said. "And with that, I'm exhausted, slightly drunk, and need to sleep. So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed." She high-fived York and disappeared into her room, leaving the two of them alone.

"Wanna make out?" York asked, scraping the fork along the plate to gather the remaining frosting.

"Yes," she said in a small voice. York dropped the fork into the plate and grabbed her by the wrist, dragging her over to the couch.

**Part 13**

"So what are you guys doing for New Year's Eve?" North asked, carefully slicing a tomato.

York reached over and tried to snatch a slice, but nearly got his finger cut off. "I made reservations at Errera and then I have a whole moonlit walk planned out."

"Errera? That fancy place at the north end of the city?"

"Yep, it's nearly impossible to get reservations for holidays, but I managed. Lina's gonna love it." York snatched a piece of tomato and popped it into his mouth, ignoring North's eye roll.

"I bet she'll love it just as much as when Wash took her there."

"…What?"

"Didn't he tell you? That's where they went on their date way back then."

"He said they got burgers."

"Well, that's where they ended up, but they started at Errera. I don't think that's the best place to go, you know? Might be awkward."

"Nah, it'll be fine." York was suddenly a little pale, a little lost in thought. "She won't mind."

"If you say so." North reached for the head of lettuce and flipped on the water in the sink, beginning to rinse it off as he peeled back layers.

"Well, _fuck_." York dropped his head onto the counter, picking at the countertop. "What the fuck am I supposed to do? New Year's Eve is _tomorrow_. There's no way I'll get reservations anywhere decent."

"Why not just make a romantic dinner at home for the two of you?"

"Yeah, like _I_ can cook." York gestured to the salad that was beginning to come together in the bowl in front of North. "Unless _you_ make the food and I buy it from you, that's the best I'm going to be able to do."

North shook his head. "No thanks, I'm not a chef for hire."

"C'mon, _please_?"

"Nice try."

York groaned. "Well, I'm fucked."

"You'll think of something."

"You are _no help_." He straightened and grabbed a piece of lettuce, chewing on it as he walked over to the couch to flop down. "I wonder if Wash has any ideas."

"I think he's busy trying to figure out a way to ask out that Canadian girl he met during grad school," North replied. "Sheila or something? You should see him, getting all excited over Skype when she calls."

"Are they dating?"

"If calling each other every few days constitutes 'dating' then yes."

York groaned again and kicked the armrest of the couch, prompting an annoyed shout from North. "I guess we can start with the walk and maybe just get dessert somewhere."

"Walking? In the city? While she's probably going to be wearing heels?"

"_Goddammit North you are not helping the fucking problem here_!"

"Look, just take her to a different restaurant. There's like, 200 in this city alone. It's not a hard thing to figure out."

"Is this why you don't have a girlfriend? Because you don't care to try?"

"What makes you think I _don't_ have a girlfriend?" North said, grinding the garbage disposal for a minute.

York waited until the noise was over and sat up on his elbows. "Wait, _do_ you have a girlfriend?"

"If I did I wouldn't be telling _you_ right now."

"You're a crafty bitch."

"And I take pride in that. Now get up and grab the chicken out of the fridge; the salad's ready."

(break)

Carolina stood in front of her mirror and held up two different dresses in front of her robe, trying to figure out which looked better. Both looked horrible and she was on the verge of tears when her phone rang.

"Babe, what do you think about staying in tonight?" came York's voice on the other end of the line.

"I thought we had dinner plans?"

"I thought about it and decided that you're too special for that, so I came up with something else. Pick you up at five?"

She glanced at the clock on her nightstand which read 4:59pm. "Uh, _no_? I'm not even dressed."

"Neither am I, so you better let me inside quick before someone calls the cops on me."

She tossed the phone onto the bed and darted over to the front door, throwing it open. York was leaning against the frame on one arm, the other hand holding an apple he was chewing on. He was completely dressed in what looked like a new navy blue suit with a white shirt underneath. His sandy brown hair was neatly styled and he smiled as he swallowed a bite of apple.

"You're dressed," Carolina said with a huff.

"You're not," he observed. "You weren't lying."

"You_ were._"

"Don't worry, I can fix that." He stepped through the doorway and slung an arm around her waist, dipping her low as he pressed his lips against hers, pulling her back up a moment later, the kiss remaining unbroken. She hooked her arms around his neck and licked his upper lip.

"Are we staying in then? Because I have no idea what to wear."

"That's okay." York let go of her and ducked out into the hallway, bringing back in a large box with a silver bow wrapped around it. He handed it to her and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are we in Pretty Woman or something?"

"Shut up, Dakota helped me pick it out. I want you to wear it."

She untied the ribbon and let it drop to the floor as she opened the box, revealing a dress in a beautiful turquoise. With a gasp she lifted it out of the box and let the box fall away as the dress unfolded. It was a deep v-cut with tapered sides and a fitted bodice, and it was _gorgeous_. She held it against herself, admiring the color.

"Now hurry up and change or we're going to be late," York lectured.

"It's five o'clock! What are we possibly doing that we need to leave this early?"

"It's a bit of a drive, so just hurry the fuck up, okay?" He walked over to the couch and sat down, smoothing out his suit. "I'll be waiting."

She shook her head and stuck out her tongue at him as she ran back towards the bedroom to get dressed.

"I never said to get dressed in _there_!" he yelled out.

(break)

"Where the hell are we going?" Carolina asked for what had to be the tenth time in five minutes. York rolled his eyes and winced at the twinge behind his scar. He _really_ had to stop doing that.

"I told you, it's a surprise, okay?"

"_Fine_." She settled back in the passenger seat of the car and looked out the window, admiring the view. The buildings of the city had fallen away, revealing trees and fields just off the highway.

Eventually York turned off and they found themselves driving along a smaller highway with the ocean stretching out for miles and miles to their left. He took a few turns at a leisurely pace and eventually they wound up in a small parking lot right near the water.

"Seriously?" she asked, climbing out the car, realizing she was wearing four-inch heels and about to be walking in the sand. She pulled her coat out of the backseat and buttoned it up to her chin, wrapping her scarf around the fabric as well.

York popped the trunk and got out of the car, going around the back. He pulled out a small picnic basket and handed it to her as she walked around to join him, followed by two sleeping bags and a backpack. "Take off your shoes and toss 'em in here," he said, gesturing to the trunk. "You won't be needing them, don't worry."

She pulled off the heels and carefully set them inside, watching him do the same before shutting the trunk. He hoisted one sleeping bag under each arm with the backpack slung over his shoulder.

"Seriously, _this_ is your romantic evening plan? It's fucking _freezing _out here next to the water."

"Stop complaining and let's get going, you'll warm up in a few," he said, starting off towards the water. She followed behind, trying to keep her complaining to a minimum as they traversed the cold sand, York leading the way.

Eventually they came to a small rock formation about thirty feet away from the water, forming a natural small cave that he bent over to retreat into. Carolina frowned and ducked down to glance inside. He was busy setting up one of the sleeping bags, unzipping it so that it could act as a cushioned blanket for the ground, his coat already discarded to the side. He unzipped the backpack and started pulling out glass-container candles, setting them near the head of the cave. A lighter soon followed and within moments the rocks were glowing with yellow and orange flickers of light.

"_Wow_," Carolina breathed as York stood up in the middle of the cave where the roof was just high enough that he wouldn't smack his head. She took off her coat and scarf, setting them on the ground. "It's so beautiful!"

"Not bad coming from me, huh?" he said, grinning.

"I'm definitely surprised."

"Come on—we've gotta do something first." He put a hand on her shoulder and spun her around, ducking again as he guided her outside. Once safely out from under the rocks he began to undo his tie, dropping it to the ground as he continued unbuttoning his shirt.

"What are you doing?!"

"Get naked," he ordered. He pulled off his shirt and let it drop onto the sand as he wiggled out of his pants. "Come on! Hurry up!"

"This is a _brand new dress_, I'm not gonna just—"

"Oh my _god_, Lina!" He reached out and grabbed the shoulder of the dress, pulling it away from her. The fabric split at the side seam and he grinned as she let out a shriek.

"_What the fuck, York_?!"

"Hey, I paid for it, don't worry about it. They had more." He finished ripping the rest of the seam open, watching it fall onto the sand. "Oh lord, you went _commando_."

She'd lost the ability to form words thanks to the white-hot rage bubbling up in her throat. York smiled his crooked smile and grabbed her hand, dragging her towards the water as he dropped his boxers, stepping out of them. He reached back, picked her up around the waist and lifted her about a foot off the ground, carrying her into the water.

"_SHIT_ that's cold!" he screamed, dropping her into the water. She barely caught her balance and started screaming from shock, just before running back up into the sand. York ran after her and grabbed her around the waist, pushing her down into the sand.

"_My feet are numb_!" he cried out painfully. She started laughing and kissed him, trying to ignore that her legs felt like needles were jabbing every nerve with extremely sharp precision. He raised himself onto a knee and pressed into her, his hands wandering all over her body.

"Maybe we should get back into the cave where there's _less sand_," Carolina said through gritted teeth, realizing sand was beginning to…_get_ places it shouldn't be.

"Yeah, great plan." He hauled himself to his feet and helped her up, the two of them darting back towards the cave. They ducked back inside and fell down onto the sleeping bag blanket, kissing amongst the candlelight.

(break)

"I can't _believe_ you forgot to bring extra clothes," York complained as they shivered together inside the second sleeping bag, holding each other tightly.

"You didn't _tell_ me to!" Carolina sniped back, feeling as though she was about to die from hypothermia.

"We should get back to the car, we can use the sleeping bags as blankets to cover up."

"Fine by me."

They unzipped the sleeping bag and managed to get out of it, and Carolina tried to put her dress back on, eventually giving up on the tattered pieces. York handed her his shirt and suit jacket as he slid back into his pants, and she buttoned them up around herself as he gathered the rest of their stuff. She grabbed the now-empty picnic basket and one sleeping bag as he grabbed the other bag and the backpack, and they took off racing across the sand, laughing.

The car trip back seemed to go by too quickly as they talked about what they wanted to accomplish in the next year. York went on about wanting to find a better place to live and Carolina wanted a better job, and they agreed to make plans to help each other achieve their goals. Soon they were turning into the city and back at her apartment, minutes before midnight.

"We better hurry!" she called out as she got out of the car, forgetting that she was completely naked underneath his oversized shirt and jacket. She pulled her keys out of her purse and raced up the stairs, York right behind her in just his pants and unbuttoned coat. They ran up the stairs and tumbled into her apartment, with York already grabbing her around the waist to kiss his way down her neck, sucking lightly on her collarbone as she giggled, dropping her keys on the floor.

"What's the rush?" he whispered, sliding his hand down between her legs to rub the inside of her thigh. She let out a moan and managed to gather enough resolve to push him away, heading back to her bedroom.

"I have a surprise for _you_," she called out from inside the room, and he grinned, walking back to meet her.

"Sex on the balcony?"

"_No_. Get dressed." As he entered her room his shirt and jacket were flying towards him and he barely caught them, pulling them on. She came out of the attached bathroom wearing another dress, a tight black one that had a higher collar but dipped low in the back, and a pair of low heels. She laughed as he bit his lip.

"_Damn_, why are you doing this to me?"

"Come on, we're going upstairs to Wash and North's, I have a surprise up there."

"I appreciate the mystique, but I _really_ don't want to share you with them," York complained, following her out the door. They went upstairs and she used the spare key she kept on her key ring to open the door, flicking on the entryway light.

The apartment was dark, but she went over to the kitchen and opened the fridge, leaning over to pull something out. She set it on the counter and grabbed a couple forks and two glasses, shoving them at York while she picked up what appeared to be a small cake on a platter. She tilted her head towards the balcony and he grinned, practically tripping over himself to get over to the sliding glass door, opening it to let her outside.

A bottle of champagne was already out on the balcony on a low table, sitting in a bucket of ice. York followed her outside, turning on the porch light before he slid the door closed, and set the forks and glasses on the table. Carolina grinned at him and picked up the bottle, popping the cork with a yell as it ricocheted off the porch wall, falling to the ground. She filled both glasses halfway and set the bottle back in the bucket, handing York one of the glasses.

"Happy New Year," she toasted, tapping her glass against his.

"Happy New Year," he echoed, smiling. They both took a sip and leaned against each other, looking out over the balcony at the city block stretching out around them.

Suddenly the light went out and they jumped as Carolina whirled around to see who had turned it off. It came back on a second later to reveal a tall, very muscular, nearly naked man standing at the glass door, raising his eyebrows at them. Luckily he was wearing a pair of boxers, but nothing else. York let out a squeak as the man slid open the door.

"Hello."

He had an extremely deep voice and sounded genuinely unsurprised to see two people standing on the balcony. Carolina gave him a weak wave.

"Uh, hello?"

"Who are you?"

"We're friends of North and Wash, who are you?" York asked, obviously bothered by the man's physical size.

The man turned his head and hollered "_North_!" over his shoulder, turning back to look at the two of them. He grunted something unintelligible and left the door, walking back towards the couch. He sat down and grabbed the remote, beginning to flip through channels as North came walking out of his room wearing boxers and a fitted tee. He stopped when he saw York and Carolina paralyzed at the porch door.

"Dude, guys, come inside, it's fucking freezing outside!"

They stepped inside and closed the door, glancing warily at the man on the couch. North followed their gaze and grinned.

"Sorry, guess he didn't introduce himself. That's Maine."

"Uh, _who_?" York sputtered.

"Never mind. So, how was the cake?" North walked over to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge as York and Carolina looked at each other, both at a loss for words.

"We, uh, we didn't get to it," Carolina replied, sitting down at the dining room table. "How was _your_ night? Where's Wash?"

"On a date in his room with his computer." North unscrewed the top of the bottle and chugged half of the water in one go, walking over to the couch. He sat down next to Maine and snuggled into him, resting his head on his chest as Maine wrapped an arm around him. York walked over and stood in front of the television, blocking the view until Maine lifted his hand that held the remote and flicked it to mute, giving York a pointed look.

"Gonna need a couple more details here," he said, pointing at the two of them, putting his hands on his hips.

North shrugged awkwardly, still being held by Maine. "We met at the grocery store a few months ago," he said in a tone that implied the rest should be obvious. Maine tilted his chin down and kissed North on the top of his head, looking back up to give York more of a 'back off' type of stare.

"Just yesterday you said you weren't seeing anyone," York said, shrugging over at Carolina, who smiled.

"No, I said I wasn't going to _tell_ you if I had a _girlfriend_. And I don't," North said pointedly.

"Fucking technicality."

Maine let out a low, irritated growl and North pat his chest, smiling up at him. "Why don't we go back to bed?" he suggested.

"Good idea."

Maine moved his arm enough to let North stand up and watched as North went over to York, punching him lightly in the arm. "You don't even live here and you're cock-blocking me," he said in a low tone, in the most menacing York had ever heard North use. "Don't make it a habit."

York swallowed roughly and nodded, watching the two of them go into North's room and shut the door. Wash's door opened a second later and he came walking out, practically skipping. He was still fully dressed but his hair was rumpled, as though he'd been lying down.

"Oh hey!" He grinned over at Carolina and York. "Happy New Year! What are you two doing here?"

"Going back to Carolina's," York said quickly, going over to grab her hand.

"How was your date?" she asked as she stood up.

Wash's cheeks flushed pink. "Uh, good, I guess. She's going to come visit next month!"

"Where does she live again? Canada?"

"Yeah, she moved back there after we graduated, but we kept in touch." Wash was nearly giddy and she smiled. "We've been talking a lot since the summer—we never really had the time to spend together during school, so we're kind of making up for it now, sort of, I guess."

"That's adorable!"

York slapped him on the back. "Good job, man. Can't get a girl locally so you had to get one in Canada?"

"Shut up," Wash replied with a scowl. "At least I _have_ a girlfriend—North has been single since forever."

"Dude—" York cocked his head. "Wait, seriously? Have you not met the big scary guy yet?"

"'Big scary'…what the fuck are you talking about?" Wash looked genuinely confused.

"Maine?" Carolina supplied.

"Like, the state?"

"Like, the very large, _very_ _ripped man_ that North just went into his room with? Presumably to—" York trailed off, shaking his head emphatically. "No, no, not going to go there, no, stop it brain—"

"What the _fuck_ are you _talking about_?" Wash repeated, glancing over at North's closed bedroom door. "North's not _gay_!"

"Wow, I think you two need to have a talk," York said, unable to resist snorting a laugh.

"He said that was just a phase—"

"Talk to you later!" Carolina dragged York away and out the door as Wash continued staring at North's door with an incredulous look, like he had just found out Santa Claus was real.


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 14**

"Come on, we're gonna be late."

"I don't wanna go."

"Are you really _that_ uncomfortable about it? You had to have known."

"Known about _that_? He was the most straight-laced, pun _intended_, person in college."

"I think it's sweet. Clearly they care about each other."

York sat up with a sigh, shaking his head. "They just…they don't seem like they have anything in common. I mean, that guy is a _tank_, and North is…well, _North_."

"North isn't exactly scrawny himself," Carolina pointed out.

"But Maine is _scary_!"

"I bet once we get to know him he'll be…_less_ scary."

"Ugh, _fine_."

(break)

The four of them sat around a small table at the breakfast place North liked to frequent a few blocks north of their apartment building. It was two weeks after the incident during New Years Eve, the first time they'd gotten a chance to get together after the holidays; North had taken some vacation time off work and gone down the coast with Maine, and they'd just gotten back.

York was chewing on a piece of toast, trying to avoid Maine's _looks_ that he kept shooting his way, while Carolina and North talked about her starting to job search.

"I mean, you have a degree in architecture and design—_why_ aren't you doing anything with that?" North asked, sipping his orange juice.

Carolina shrugged. "I don't know. When I moved here I found the job at my office and I said it was going to be temporary. Now it's nearly 5 years later and I'm still there. I guess I just got comfortable."

The waitress came by and took their orders, giving North a dazzling, way-too-early-in-the-morning flirty smile. He smiled back and gave her an order of one platter to share, reaching over to slide his hand into Maine's lap. Her smile lost its flare and she trudged away, leaving Carolina to wonder how long their food was actually going to take to get ready now.

"Never too early for bacon!" York grinned, shoving the crust of his toast to the edge of his plate in preparation. "Oh god, I've been looking forward to bacon _all morning_."

"You're killing defenseless animals and destroying your body," Maine said, reaching out to pour some water from the pitcher left at the table into his half-empty glass.

"Bacon is _delicious_, and I'm perfectly healthy!" York argued, trying not to be thrown by the fact Maine had finally spoken for the first time all morning.

"Maine's a vegan," North explained, scratching the back of Maine's neck.

"Oh. That's…good?"

Maine grunted in response and drank half the glass of water as York looked awkwardly at North. He shrugged and kept rubbing Maine's neck, smiling.

"So anyway," Carolina said quickly, "if you hear about anyone looking for architects or designers, let me know."

"Maybe you should look into graduate school," North suggested.

"I considered applying to Columbia, but I just never pursued it."

"Isn't that in New York?" York cut in.

"Yeah."

"But—I don't _want_ you to go to New York." He pouted and Carolina rolled her eyes.

"Good lord, I only said I had originally considered it, not that I'm going to go there."

"Why not apply now?" North asked.

Carolina shrugged. "I've been out of the field for so long that I don't know if that's what I still want to _do_."

"It sounds like you want a change, though. What hurt could applying do?"

York leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. "That's so far away though. Aren't there any good schools here?"

"Well, sure, but—"

"We don't need to talk about this stuff right now," North interrupted with a clap of his hands. Maine smiled over at him and scooted a little closer to his chair, kissing him on the cheek. North giggled, the first time York had _ever _heard him do that, and reached out to wrap his hands around his head, pulling Maine in for a passionate kiss.

"Do you have to do that _here_?" York asked, burying his face in Carolina's shoulder. She laughed and pushed him away.

"Aw, you two are _adorable_. You fit together really well," she said. North let go of Maine and grinned at her.

"If you think we fit together _now_, you should have seen us last night—"

Maine shook his head. "North—"

"Sorry babe, couldn't resist." York made a mental note to never call Carolina 'babe' again. "Just like you last night—"

York nearly choked on the coffee he'd been drinking. "Why, _why_ would you _do that_—"

"_Fine,_ fine, I'll stop." North leaned back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head. "Unlike Maine's tongue—"

"Oh dear _god_!"

(break)

Carolina scribbled some notes down on a legal pad and frowned, trying to do some mental math over the noise of York destroying enemy soldiers in his video game out in the living room. She moved her laptop onto the bed and swung her legs over the edge, padding out of the bedroom. She stood next to the television with her arms crossed, waiting for him to notice her.

"_Boom_, headshot!" he shouted into his headset as he sat on the edge of the couch, grinning like an idiot. "Look who can take out snipers with only _one_ good eye? _This guy_." He was quiet for a second as someone replied. "Oh my god, Wash, _yes_, you're a good player _too_. Stop whining."

"York?"

"Yeah hon, hang on." He squeezed the controller and tilted his head, his tongue sticking slightly out in concentration. "_Suck_ it, North! Beat you to the flag!"

"_York_."

"Hang on a sec, guys." York slipped off the headset and looked over at her. "Yeah?"

"You're being _really_ loud, and it's kind of driving me crazy."

York smiled at her. "Sorry, just really getting into the game. Gimme one more match and I'll come to bed, okay?"

"Okay." She retreated back to the bedroom as York adjusted the headset over his ears again, already yelling something.

York carefully picked up the laptop and closed the lid, setting it on the floor at the foot of the bed. He reached out and pulled the pen and legal pad out of Carolina's hands, putting them on her nightstand. She was fast asleep, still dressed and halfway under the covers. York smiled and pulled the comforter up over her, wincing as she stirred.

"York?" she mumbled, not opening her eyes.

"Hey hon," he said quietly, reaching up to stroke her cheek. "Sorry, I got caught up in the game."

"What time is it?"

"Two-fifteen. I'm really sorry."

"S'okay. Come to bed."

"I am, I just gotta brush my teeth." He bent down and kissed her forehead and she smiled sleepily before rolling over to hug the blanket to her chest. He slipped out of the room and went into the bathroom, flicking on the light, nearly blinding himself.

Carolina's toothbrush was on the left side of the sink, neatly sticking out of the small cup she fastidiously kept it in, and his yellow-handled one was on the counter, mixed among her cosmetics and the two toothpaste bottles they alternated between. He picked his up and grabbed a tube of toothpaste, running the bristles under the water before spreading on the gel. As he brushed his teeth he stared at his reflection in the mirror, grimacing at the scar stretched past his eye that seemed to glow under the harsh fluorescents. He'd done so much research over the years about creams and skin grafts promising to fade or fix the scarring, but eventually given up, realizing it wasn't worth the effort or the money. He just needed to find that one person who wouldn't care, who would appreciate him for who he was _beyond_ the scar.

York smiled at the reflection, toothpaste foaming at the mouth, and leaned over to spit. As he wiped his face clean with a small hand towel he looked down at the counter where he'd automatically put his toothbrush. He picked it up and put it in the cup, watching it tilt and knock against the blue plastic of hers.

Maybe he'd finally found her.

**Part 15**

Carolina threw back a shot and slammed the glass down onto the counter with a shout. Dakota and CT clapped as they laughed.

"It's been _too long_," Dakota said, picking up her beer. "When was the last time we all went out?"

"A few months ago before Halloween," CT replied. "Remember, we went to that club where all the kids were in costumes and it was really hard to tell what most of them were?"

"I miss the days of normal costumes, none of this cat-ears or hipster bullshit," she complained. Carolina laughed and started on her glass of water that had appeared at some point from the waiter.

"Well, either way it's been too long. What's up with you guys? I feel like I haven't seen either of you in weeks."

"Because you_ haven't_," CT said, shaking her head. "You've been spending all your time with York or Wash."

"Or North," Dakota added. "_Who_, by the way, has a _boyfriend_. Did you know he was _gay_?"

Carolina grinned. "His name's Maine. He's a big ol' softie."

"Well, good for him! I probably would have figured it out sooner but he was always _totally _flirting with me." Dakota tossed her hair over her shoulder and tried to do a sexy pout, but just looked like she had eaten something sour.

CT rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, don't even try to convince us he flirted with you."

"Didn't he ever hit on _you_? You guys always go to the movies and hang out."

"Well, yeah, we hang out a lot, but not like _that_. We're friends. You realize men and women can be _friends_, right, Dakota?"

"Not likely. So, you've met this boyfriend, Lina?"

She nodded. "_Huge_ guy. Like, ex-military huge, but I don't think he was ever in the military, just likes to work out. He and North are adorable together."

"Is he hot?"

"He's very handsome, yes," Carolina chuckled .

"Are you _sure_ he's gay, and not like, bi-curious or something? Do I have a shot?"

"No."

"Aww."

"Dude, Dakota, give it up." CT sighed. "We need to find you a viable boyfriend before you drive us crazy. Hey, Lina, what are you guys doing for Valentine's Day?"

"Not sure yet. I mean, it's the first real 'romantic' holiday we've spent together. Thanksgiving doesn't really count, and he went home to visit his parents for Christmas, so we've got to make up for that."

"You should just buy some super slutty lingerie and stay in. It'll cost you so much less money. Well, maybe more dignity in the long run, but whatever."

"You sound like you speak from experience."

"Heh, yeah, maybe."

"Be right back," Dakota cut in, grabbing her beer glass. She left the table and bee-lined for the bar where a cute guy was standing, glancing around like he was waiting for someone. They watched as Dakota approached him, flipping her hair flirtatiously, and they started talking. It looked like he'd forgotten about whoever he was waiting for, since he followed her over to an empty table.

"She works fast," Carolina chuckled. "How have you guys been?"

CT tilted her hand back and forth. "Eh, same old stuff, I guess. I got handed a few high-end accounts so I've been swamped trying to get premiere parties set up around the city. Dakota's been going out a lot more often lately but hasn't found anyone worth dating more than once or twice. I think she's been feeling left out a lot too."

"Left out?"

"Well, you've got York; Wash has that online girlfriend; North has been busy, though apparently we now know it's been with his boyfriend; and I occasionally hang out with North, but we see the girly movies that we could _never_ drag anyone else to, Dakota included. So she kind of gets left out of the group, and I don't have time with my workload right now to include her in stuff."

Carolina stared down into her beer. "Wow, I…I had no idea. She never said anything."

"And she never will. You know how she is. Hell, you've been friends with her _way_ longer than I have, so yeah. You know she just keeps thinks bottled up—the things that matter, anyway. Afraid to let anyone in." CT paused, looking thoughtfully at Carolina. "You know, I can see why you guys have been friends for so long. You're so alike, it's scary."

"Wow, you did _not_ just say that. Dakota is _crazy_! I'm not like her!"

"No, I didn't mean like that. I meant like—well, neither of you has any siblings, so you never really had anyone to relate to growing up. You're both pretty emotionally closed off, and that's why neither of you has really ever had a long-term relationship. York's the one guy you've been with longer than a couple of months, right?"

"No, there was that one guy, back in college, you didn't know him. Wow, haven't thought about Frank in a long time." Carolina smiled. "We were together nearly a year. He ended up having to drop out of school and move home to help take care of his family after his mom passed away. We talked for a few months after that, but just drifted apart."

"Okay, fine, so that's _one_. But I know Dakota's never had a _serious_ relationship, and okay, I'll count Frank, but since then, has there been anyone?"

She shrugged. "No, not really."

"What about York? Are you guys doing okay?" CT reached out and grabbed the beer away from Carolina, taking a swig.

"Yeah…we haven't had 'the talk' yet. I think he's fine with how things are now."

"Are _you_ fine?"

Carolina opened her mouth to respond but Dakota interrupted her, collapsing onto the table. "He has a girlfriend," she moaned, brushing hair out of her eyes. "Fucker was just hitting on me until she walked up and threatened to punch me in the face."

"I'm sorry, buddy."

"This place is dead. We should leave." Dakota grabbed her purse from the table and stalked out, with Carolina and CT following behind.

(break)

"She's coming! She's coming to visit!" Wash was practically singing as he twirled his way into the living room, stopping to do a little dance in front of York and North. They paused their game and stared at him.

"What?" York was the first to break the silence.

"Philly!"

"…the city?..."

"Phyllis, you _dumbass_." Wash continued his little dance. "My girlfriend! She's coming to visit for Valentine's Day!" Suddenly he froze, his eyes wide with fear. "Oh fuck, I've got to plan the perfect Valentine's Day now, what am I going to do?!"

"Wait, hold up. This girl is _real_?" York set down his controller on the table. "I thought North was kidding about your online Canadian girlfriend. You _do_ realize she sounds _totally fake_, right?"

Wash stepped over to him and grabbed York's collar, twisting the fabric around his fist. "Don't get on my bad side about this," he threatened. "I swear, if you fuck this up for me in _any way_—"

"So, are you going to need the apartment for a few days?" North interrupted, standing up to stretch as York scooted back on the couch, avoiding meeting Wash's glare.

"If that's okay. Can you stay with Maine?"

"I've been spending most nights over there anyway."

"Oh, did you two finally meet?" York asked.

Wash nodded. "He's really nice. We've had some great conversations about books and movies. He reads a lot of the same authors as me."

"Wait, he _talks_? To _you_? He's said less than a dozen words to me!"

"To be fair, you're pretty much a dick."

"But he _likes_—"

"_Don't finish that sentence_," North cut in, glaring at York. He cowered into the couch even further.

"Yeah, if I could have the place for a couple days, that'd be great," Wash said, going over to the pantry to grab a snack.

"Sounds great. I'll check with Maine, but I'm sure he won't mind if we just stayed at his place."

"How's that going, by the way?" York asked in a small voice.

North glanced over at him warily. "We're good. I really like this one."

"He's not your…I mean, you've had other…uh…"

"_No,_ York, he's not my first boyfriend. Or lover, or whatever you couldn't say. I just haven't met anyone in a long time that I like as much as him. He's very sweet, and he treats me like the prince I am."

"Humble."

"Always."

"I seriously had no idea you dated guys in college. You told me you were _tutoring_."

"I was. Just not in any official school subject."

"I'm happy for you," Wash said with a chuckle. "I never would have thought you were into the big body-builder type. The guys you hooked up with in college were always really nerdy and scrawny, like…I was…back…then…"

"Well, time to go!" North pat him on the back and retreated to his room. Wash just stood there, the bag of chips half raised above the counter. York got up and came over, taking the bag from him.

"Don't worry, man. If it's any consolation, I never heard him call any of his 'pupils' by your name."

"_York_!"

(break)

"What are we doing for Valentine's Day?" Carolina called out from the bathroom, brushing her hair up into a messy ponytail.

"I planned New Years, doesn't this one fall on _you_?" York hollered back from the kitchen where he was making them sandwiches for lunch.

She walked out of the bathroom and joined him in the kitchen, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. "Well, it's a Tuesday, and I work until five, so I don't really have any ideas other than dinner somewhere. What about you?"

"We just finished a job and I have a few days off. I could probably plan something. Any preferences for eating?"

"Maybe Italian? It's been a while since we really went out anywhere nice." She went over to the fridge and opened it, grabbing an apple from the crisper drawer.

"Sounds good, I'll make reservations today." York turned to grab a knife from the drawer and glanced at Carolina, who was wearing sweatpants and a loose-fitting tank top. "Wow, uh, feeling comfortable today, are we?"

She shrugged. "It's Sunday, can't I have a day off?"

"Yeah, it's just—never mind. Do you want water or a soda?"

"I'm fine with water. Don't change the subject, what were you going to say?" She frowned at York, who was looking irritated all of a sudden.

"It's really nothing." He carried the two plates with sandwiches lying on them to the dining room table, setting them down.

"Something is clearly bothering you. What's up?"

"Did I ever tell you about my ex, the girl I dated my senior year of college?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so."

"Her name was Alicia. We met at the student center, she was getting coffee at the little shop near the entrance and I was on my way to lunch. Just one of those chance encounters, I stopped because she was hotter than _hell_ and I had to know her name."

Carolina sat down and picked up her sandwich. "This conversation is making me slightly uncomfortable."

"I'm getting to the point. Anyway, we dated on and off for a few months, and it was great—she had an internship at a bank and had to dress up every day, skirts and nice blouses and heels. Every time I saw her she kept getting hotter. Then, inevitably, the downfall started. One weekend we stayed in at her place, and she wore these cute sweatpants and a yoga top, but she still did her hair and makeup so she'd look hot."

"_Please_ get to the point."

"That _is_ the point," York said, taking a bite of his own sandwich. "After a couple months of her getting too comfortable, she just stopped trying to look good around me. If we ever stayed in, even on weeknights, she'd change into sweats and scrub off her makeup. She just stopped caring, and it made me feel like I wasn't worth trying for, you know?"

Carolina glanced down at her own outfit. "You realize I don't dress like this every weekend, right?"

"No, I know, it's just…" York sighed and reached over to take her hand. "I don't want you to stop looking hot."

She let out a snorting laugh, but quickly silenced it when she saw his face. "Oh, you're _serious_," she said, feeling bad.

"Yeah, I am. As stupid and selfish as it sounds, I don't want to be, like, your brother or something—someone you feel like you don't have to look nice around."

"No, that—I mean, it makes sense. I certainly don't want to see you lounging around in your underwear every time we're hanging out. Well, _sometimes_, sure, but I get it." She leaned over the table and kissed him. "Do you want me to go change?"

York shook his head. "No, it's fine. I feel better having talked to you about it. I know it's stupid, but it just bothers me."

"Sweetie, it's okay. I won't stop caring." Carolina picked up her sandwich again and took another bite. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah."

"Do you wanna have sex after lunch?"

"…Yeah."

(break)

Carolina woke up on Tuesday morning with a start. She sat up in bed and focused her mind on a spot on the wall, but after twenty seconds she was bolting for the bathroom and throwing up in the toilet.

Her stomach heaved as she coughed up the remainders of the previous night's dinner, hugging the toilet bowl. She felt like she was going to die, and nearly started crying when she felt York's hand on her back, rubbing small circles against her shirt.

"Lina? What happened?"

She let out a moan and shook her head. Luckily her hair was still tied back from when she'd gone to bed. "I don't know. Probably something I ate."

"I wonder if the chicken wasn't fully cooked… my stomach was hurting last night, but I didn't think much of it." York kept rubbing her back. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. I guess I didn't follow North's instructions properly."

She touched her forehead to the cool porcelain and whimpered. "Definitely _not_ going to work today."

"Should I get your phone?"

"Please."

York stood up and left the bathroom to retrieve her phone from the charger. He came back a moment later and she managed to dial her work, getting the voicemail of one of her bosses. She left a message and apologized, hanging up to hand York the phone again. He set it on the counter and sat down next to her, rubbing her arm.

"I'll cancel our reservations for dinner," he said quietly, smiling at her as she reached up to flush the toilet.

"_Shit_, I'm ruining Valentine's Day." Carolina started crying, unable to help herself. A few seconds later a warm wet washcloth was inches away from her face, and she looked over to see York grinning at her.

"I don't care," he said.

"How are you so happy?" she blubbered, taking the washcloth to wipe her mouth and face.

"Because even though you're sick, and throwing up, and it smells totally awful in here, and we won't have a fancy dinner, it doesn't even matter."

"Of course it does! Our first Valentine's Day together and I'm a fucking _mess_—"

"I love you."

She froze. Had she really just heard him say that? "York, I—"

"I know this isn't the best place or time, because fuck if I meant to tell you something this important in the fucking _bathroom_, but that's just how _much_ I love you. I don't even _care_ where we are, Lina, the important thing is that I'm with you and I love you. I just wanted you to know that."

She started crying again and fell forward to lean on him, sobbing against his shirt. He started laughing and rubbed her shoulders, whispering soothing things to calm her down, but it was all too overwhelming and she thought she was going to throw up again.

So she did.

After flushing the toilet a second time and leaning away from it, washcloth in hand, face freshly re-cleaned, she hiccupped and turned to York, eyes still watering. "I love you too," she said weakly.

"I didn't need you to say it back just to make me feel better or something!" he said, shaking his head.

"No, that's not it. I really _do_ love you…Sean."

York grinned and grabbed her in a bear hug, not caring that she was sweaty and still sort of crying.

(break)

A few hours later Carolina opened her eyes, remaining in bed, still feeling too weak to get up but getting tired of lying there where she couldn't do anything. York had been cleaning the apartment and she could hear the dishwasher running, the dishes clinking against each other. She sighed and rolled over, hating that she'd be wasting the day in bed. She was feeling better, but not good enough to go out or do anything.

She stayed still as she heard York sneaking into the bedroom, going into the closet, probably to grab the laundry basket of his clothes that ended up accumulated in her place. Every couple of weeks he emptied the basket into a travel-ready mesh laundry bag and took it back home to do his own laundry. She'd offered him the use of her own machine a few times, but he always turned her down, saying it was weird when he didn't really live there. She'd argued that he practically did live there when he wasn't on a construction job, but he'd stuck to his guns.

"I'm awake," she finally said, loudly enough that he stopped moving in the closet and came over to kneel next to her side of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" York asked, kissing her forehead.

"Better. Maybe we can still make dinner; I don't have to eat a lot."

"Nah, I already canceled. Don't worry about it."

She sighed. "I feel so bad about all of this."

"Sweetie, it's _fine_. Just stay in bed and let me do everything. Let me take care of you. It's what I want."

"Not a very romantic day," she said with a frown.

"Hey, as long as I can get sex at some point, I'll consider it a victory."

Carolina was too tired to get annoyed. "Can you get me some juice?"

"Of course. Be right back."

York left the room and she closed her eyes, suddenly exhausted again.

When she awoke, it was nighttime.

Carolina sat up in bed, feeling almost back to normal, or at least much better than that morning. She heard York talking in the living room and got out of bed, grabbing her robe that was draped over the foot of the bed. She pulled it around herself and crept over to the doorway, leaning lightly against the door.

"You finally said it?" She recognized the incredulous tone as belonging to Wash.

"Yeah," was York's reply. "Wasn't exactly the right situation, but whatever."

"You don't sound excited."

"Well, it's complicated."

"Not really. I bet you're overthinking things."

"Yeah, maybe." A stretch of silence. "I think she's slipping away."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, it's just little things. Little stupid things that I'm sure I'm reading too much into. You remember the toothbrush thing?"

_Toothbrush thing?_ What_ toothbrush thing?_

"Yeah, you were weirdly proud of that."

"She never even noticed." York's voice dropped into a tone of sadness and she bit her lip. "Like I said, it's stupid."

"Hey man, it's not stupid."

"I thought putting our toothbrushes in the same cup would show her how I felt. That's _stupid_."

Wash laughed. "It's not the most obvious or grand of gestures, but you honestly thought it was a good thing, that's what counts."

"It's other things too. I mean, she doesn't seem to care when I don't come over for stretches of time. I get antsy when I don't hear from her all day, yet she seems perfectly fine when I get busy at work for days at a time."

She heard Wash sigh. "Have you _talked_ to her about any of this?"

"No, because I know it's ridiculous. I'm talking like a _girl_."

"That's not a bad thing, you idiot. Even us guys need to get stuff out once in a while, especially with those we love."

"Yeah." A glass clinked against the table as she assumed one of them was putting down a drink. "I should go check on her."

She moved away from the door, ready to jump back into bed, but stopped when she heard Wash say "Hang on a sec." Creeping back to the door, she kept listening. "I just wanted to say something."

"Yeah?" York sounded intrigued.

"I know we kind of got off on the wrong foot regarding Lina."

"It's okay man, really. I get it now."

"No, I just need to say it." She heard Wash sigh, like he did when he was really nervous. "I wish you guys all the best, and I'm really happy you figured your shit out together. I really am. I just want to know that you're not going to hurt her."

York chuckled. "I'm _not_ going to hurt her, Wash. If anything, Lina is going to hurt _me_. I'm so ridiculously head over heels for her that it's only going to end in heartbreak or marriage."

"I'm glad you feel that way, because—and obviously I'm never going to say anything to her about this—but because if you ever do anything to hurt her, if you ever fuck up so colossally that she needs to get away from you, I _will_ step in, and I _will_ make her forget about you."

Carolina sucked in her breath, feeling light-headed. What the fuck was Wash _saying_? She could practically feel the tension in the air all the way from the bedroom.

"What are you implying?" York's voice was tight, his tone barely restrained.

"Use your imagination."

"I've got to go check on Lina. You should probably leave."

"Fine. Just remember that she has people who care about her…some more than others."

She heard the door open and close a second later and dashed back to the bed, jumping under the covers. Her eyes had just closed when she heard the bedroom door swing open, the wood scratching across the carpet.

"Hon? You awake?"

She stayed motionless, controlling her breathing. York climbed into bed after a moment; she felt the mattress depress as he sat on the other side. His breathing was heavy and the tension he was emanating was seeping into the blankets, smothering her.

"I know you're awake. I just want to know how much you heard."

He reached over and lightly touched her shoulder. She stirred in response, but only a little, keeping her eyes closed.

"I want you to know that I love you, no matter what anyone else may ever tell you. You mean more to me than anyone else, and I will spend the rest of my life trying to prove that to you."

He rolled out of bed after that and left the room, closing the door behind him. Carolina squeezed her eyes shut even more tightly, losing the battle to her tears.


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 16**

Carolina knocked on North and Wash's door, waiting for someone to answer.

She'd been avoiding Wash for a week, but had no plans to bring up anything she'd overheard. It wasn't her place, and she had no idea how she'd ever broach the subject anyway. He'd been calling and trying to stop by to hang out, but she kept making excuses, wanting to spend time with York before he had to travel a few cities away for a week-long construction job a coworker had gotten him involved with. She was pretty sure Wash was away at work, and figured North would be up for some advice-giving.

North answered the door, looking exhausted and strung-out, like he hadn't slept in days. "Hey Lina," he greeted, gesturing for her to come in. "You have a key, you know. You don't have to knock."

"I don't want to walk in on you and Maine."

"Yeah, that's not going to happen. We broke up."

"_What_?!"

North walked over to the couch and flopped down, burying his face in a pillow. "Mrrffnnghee."

"Yeah, I didn't get _any_ of that."

"Maine fucking _left me_," he repeated, lifting his face a little. "I should have seen it coming—things were going so well, that's usually when shit hits the fan."

"What the fuck happened? You guys were so great together!"

"_I_ happened."

Carolina pushed on North's shoulder enough so that she could sit on the couch, and he scooted around so that his head was in her lap. "Talk to me, what happened?"

North sighed. "I had this great valentine's evening planned out—dinner on the pier, dessert at this little place he loves, a walk along the beach. It was going to be a perfect surprise. Then he canceled on me."

"Did he have to work or something?"

"He never gave me a reason. I waited here for an hour, and finally he called to say he wasn't going to be able to make it. We had a fight, of course, and I was so angry that I told him if he wasn't going to make the time for me, for the night I'd spent _weeks_ planning, then he shouldn't bother coming over at all. And he hasn't since."

"It's only been a week, you don't—"

"I'd even rented out the entire place for dessert so we would be alone! Do you have any idea how _much_ that costs on a _regular_ night, not to mention _Valentine's Day_?"

"Did you _tell_ him that?"

"I never got the chance. I freaked out, told him off, and he hung up on me. Now he won't even take my calls."

"I don't think I've ever seen you get like this," Carolina said with a frown.

"Yeah, well, I get kind of intense when it comes to the people I love," North replied, reaching up to press his fingers over his eyes. "You just haven't been around for the epic fights I've had with York or Wash. One time back in high school, Wash and I didn't talk for three weeks because I said his jacket looked stupid, and we only started talking again when he gave in and apologized for wearing a stupid jacket."

"Wow. You must _really_ love Maine, then."

"I really do. I was going to tell him as such over dessert. Fuck, I even had _this_." North reached down and dug around in his jeans pocket, pulling out a small pouch to hand to Carolina. She took it and shook the contents out onto her palm, revealing a silver key.

"Is this—"

"I was going to ask him to move in. I know it's only been, what, five months? But I just _knew_ with him."

"You should really go talk to him. You guys deserve a chance to fix this."

"Nah, we're done." North waved his hand in the air dismissively. "I've never been one for long-term relationships; don't know _why_ I thoughtI could start _now._"

"Don't say that."

"Tis only the truth." North smiled up at her, his red-rimmed eyes looking wet with tears. "So anyway, how are things with you? I heard York finally said the big three words."

She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about this when you're so upset."

"It's fine. I need something to take my mind off of all this."

Carolina smiled. "Yes, we finally said we loved each other."

"And you're happy?"

"Yes. I think so. I mean, yes, I am. I _am_ happy."

"Wow, way to reassure me."

"You remember talking with me going back to school?"

"Of course."

"Well, I looked into it and there's a class that starts in April at the college. It prepares people for applying and getting into grad school if they've been out of school for too long. I can afford it, and it's an evening class so it won't interfere with work."

"And you haven't told York," North said, his tone all-knowing.

"I don't know _how_ to."

"You…just tell him? I would think he'd be happy for you that you want to broaden your horizons."

"Don't you remember how upset he got when we were talking about Columbia?"

"Well, yes, but—" North sat up, turning around to face her. "That's all the way in New York, sweetie. You know there are great schools in California too, right?"

Carolina sighed. "I know, but the better schools _aren't_ in California. I don't want York to freak out over something that isn't even a definite option yet."

"I think you should just talk to him. He'll understand, and I know he'll be supportive, if you just give him a little time to come around to the idea."

"So you can _give_ the same advice, but you won't act on it _yourself_?" she asked, jabbing a finger into his chest. North blushed, reaching up to run a hand through his hair.

"Guess I'm not really ready to face reality yet."

"Yeah, me neither."

(break)

Carolina sat on her couch, phone in hand, the screen prepped to call York. He'd been gone for four days and she was realizing just how quiet the apartment was without him.

She'd been thinking a lot since she overheard the conversation between him and Wash, trying to parse the real meaning behind Wash's sentiment. Did he still _like_ her, or was that just posturing, a threat to his friend because that's how guys acted? Finally she'd decided that it was probably just an idle threat, and wasn't going to give it any more thought.

The other half of her had been silently hyperventilating about what _York_ had said, about their relationship either ending in a split or marriage.

All of this was really rather poor timing, since she had been prepared to ask York to officially move in with her during dinner that night.

She definitely wasn't ready for marriage; she knew that much for sure. She had decided on going back to school and was going to break the news to York after softening him up with the 'moving in together' gesture. Now she wasn't even sure how to do any of it.

Her phone rang, breaking her out of her reverie, and she looked down to see that it was York. "Perfect timing," she answered with a smile. "I was just thinking about you."

"Babe, listen to me carefully. I need you to come here."

"York, what's wrong?" He hadn't called her 'babe' since that breakfast with North and Maine, and he sounded like he was about to pass out. "Are you okay? What's going on?"

"I need you to come to the hospital out here. I got hurt. I love you, Lina, please, talk to Chris—"

There was a shuffle on the other end of the phone and a few seconds later another man was speaking. "Hey, Carolina?"

"Chris?" He was York's friend who'd gotten him the job in the first place. "What happened? Is York okay?"

"Yeah, he should be fine—he got hit by a falling beam on the site, and it nearly crushed his leg, but I think we got him out in time. Can you get up to Sacramento?"

It was a good five-hour drive in normal traffic, but during mid-day rushes, it was going to take forever. "Of course, I'll leave now. Text me which hospital and I'll keep you posted on where I am."

"Fantastic. They're loading him into the ambulance now. Don't freak out, he's gonna be fine, okay?"

"Okay." Her voice was shaking but she managed to keep her calm somehow. "I'll be there soon."

"Good. Talk to you soon." He hung up York's phone and she stared down at hers, trying to quell the oncoming panic attack.

Someone knocked on her door and she jumped up to answer it, nearly smacking her leg into the table in front of the couch. She swung it open and found Maine standing in the hallway, glancing up and down as though he were looking for someone else.

"Maine?" she exclaimed. "What are _you _doing here?"

"Trying to find your apartment," he said brusquely. She realized they'd only spent a little time at her place during group hang-outs, since North usually did the cooking and preferred his own kitchen. "Is John here?"

She frowned. "John?"

"North."

"_Oh_." She had no idea his real name was John; he'd never brought it up. "No, he's not. Uh, I'd help you find him but I have to go, York was in an accident and I need to get to Sacramento right away."

"Okay." He stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. She noticed his left hand was bandaged up, and she briefly entertained the idea of asking what happened until she realized he was waiting for her.

"…okay?"

"I'll drive. We should go before traffic gets worse."

She was at a loss for words, both because she didn't know _why_ Maine was offering to drive her nearly four hundred miles to see someone he seemed to actively dislike, and also because it was most the most she'd ever heard him speak. The fact that he and North had broken up was also concerning.

"I can drive myself—"

"You're upset. Let's _go_, Carolina."

Maine clearly wasn't going to leave unless it was with her. Knowing she had no choice, unless North was to conveniently show up or call, she had to get going, and with Maine was the only way.

"Okay, fine. I'll reimburse you for gas later."

"Don't worry about it."

He waited as she scrambled around the apartment, grabbing her purse and keys, making sure her phone was safely in her pocket. She pulled a coat out of the closet by the door and put it on, pulling her hair out from under the collar. As they left the apartment, closing the locked door behind them, Maine reached over and gently hooked a large hand underneath her elbow, guiding her downstairs towards his car. She smiled up at him and he nodded, the unspoken thank you hanging between them.

(break)

Carolina had no idea what was going on.

An hour later and she found herself having one of the most heartfelt conversations of her entire life, with _Maine_ of all people.

He'd ushered her into his car, a nicely maintained four-door white sedan, and sped out onto the highway, managing to somehow beat a lot of the traffic exiting the city. The first twenty minutes of the drive was spent silently, Maine focusing on the road and Carolina staring out the window at the cars surrounding them.

Then the traffic jam hit and they had nothing to pay attention to but each other.

It was Maine who finally broke the silence, reaching over to turn up the heat another click. "What happened to York?" he asked, looking over at her. Traffic had slowed to a complete stop.

"An accident on the construction site he was working on. Something happened to his leg. I don't really know anything else." She turned on her phone and sent a quick text to York's phone saying that she was stuck in traffic. Tucking it back into the cup holder between them, she shrugged. "He didn't have time to tell me anything else."

"I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked, suddenly feeling brave despite being trapped in a small car with a very large, still slightly intimidating Maine. He grunted in agreement. "Why didn't you make it to Valentine's Day?"

Maine grunted again, more angrily this time.

"Okay, sorry. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine." She gestured towards his bandaged hand that was resting on the steering wheel. "What happened to your hand?"

"North."

She raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

Maine sighed heavily. "I was making a bedframe. Tired of sharing his small bed. The saw cut into my hand because I wasn't paying attention."

"Oh, that's really sweet of you!"

"I was finishing it that day, about to assemble everything when I was trimming the last piece. Cut my hand and I was in the hospital getting stitches. Called North to tell him I wasn't going to make it. He yelled, we fought, and I hung up on him when he told me not to bother with him anymore."

Apparently once he got going, Maine didn't hate talking as much as she'd thought. "Why didn't you just go over and talk about it that night?"

"I was doped up on painkillers all night and the next day. Turns out, cutting your hand open hurts a lot." He waved his hand in the air, doing a little figure eight. "He didn't call, I didn't call. Finally he started calling me but by then I was too angry."

"I'm sure he'll understand if you just explain what happened."

"Tried to call him last night, didn't answer. S'why I came to see him in person today."

"I think he made movie plans with CT, honestly."

Maine let out a low growl. "_Hate_ it when he does that."

"Does what? Goes out with CT?"

"No, sees movies _I_ want to see. Selfish _dick_."

Carolina bit back a laugh, but a small giggle escaped and he glared over at her. "Sorry," she said, smiling. "It's not funny, I'm sorry." He shrugged in response. "Can I ask you one more question?"

"We have time."

"Why did you and York never get along? You seemed to always be on the offensive around him."

Maine inched the car forward as traffic finally began to move. They drove silently for a few miles until they got stopped again.

"I don't hate him."

"I never said you did."

Maine leaned back and looked over at her, frowning. "I was jealous."

"Jealous? Of _York_?"

"Of his and North's relationship."

"But York obviously isn't—I mean, there's nothing to be jealous _of_."

"I wanted that _closeness_ with North. Not just the physicality of the relationship, but the emotional stability. They really _get_ each other."

Carolina nodded, finally understanding. "I'm jealous of them too. And of how they act with Wash. It's like the three of them are in this relationship that no one else can see into, you know?"

"Exactly." Maine was visibly more relaxed, almost smiling. "Didn't know you saw it the same way."

"So you _don't_ hate York, then?"

"I did at first. Thought he and North were sneaking around together." Carolina snorted a laugh and heard Maine chuckle quietly. "Changed my mind after North reacted the same way."

"I can't even imagine that, and I refuse to."

"I like you, Carolina."

"I like you too, Maine."


	9. Chapter 9

**Part 17**

They finally arrived in Sacramento in the late afternoon, hitting even more rush hour traffic going into the city. Eventually they made it to the hospital Chris had specified in a text and Maine parked in one of the closer lots, guiding Carolina inside, who was suddenly nervous and barely able to think straight.

Walking up to reception, which was thankfully not very busy, Carolina tapped the tiled counter and managed to get the attention of the nurse behind the computer. "Can I help you?" she asked, a young girl who couldn't have been more than twenty years old.

"I'm here to see a patient, he was brought in this morning, Sean?"

"Last name?"

"Duggan."

The girl typed a few things into the computer and nodded. "Can I see some ID?"

Carolina reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet, handing her driver's license to her. She took it and typed a few more things, finally nodding. "Okay, Carolina, you're listed on here as his emergency contact. Go to the elevators over there—" she pointed to her right towards a bank of elevators, "and go to floor 4. He's in room 467."

"Thank you," Carolina said, taking back her ID. Maine put his arm around Carolina's shoulders and walked with her over to the elevators, hitting the button. She leaned against his chest and let out a worried sigh.

"Are you okay?" Maine asked quietly as the elevator doors opened. They stepped inside and she hit the button for the fourth floor, nodding.

"I'll be fine in a minute. I just need to see him."

Maine grunted and leaned against the railing. "Idiot."

"We don't know what happened." Carolina shrugged. "Maybe it wasn't his fault."

"Yeah."

"Are _you_ okay? Are you going to call North?"

Maine shook his head as the elevator shuddered to a stop. "Let's go." He left first, with Carolina trailing behind him.

Room 467 was to the left of the expansive hospital floor, according to the helpful signs everywhere, and they finally found it by following the trail of York's voice arguing with someone.

"I _told_ you, I don't want any pain meds! I'm _fine_ and I just want to go _home_!"

"York, just take the fucking pills—"

"_No_!"

"Sean, you're going to be in a _lot_ of pain in the next hour if you don't take at least one of the drugs."

"I'm _fine_, just get me my phone so I can call—"

"_York_."

The fighting stopped as Maine stepped into the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, glaring down at York, who was lying in the hospital bed in a blue paper gown, his right leg bound up in a splint going up to his thigh. Carolina ducked into the room past Maine's side and watched York's face go from pale horror to flushed relief, locking eyes with her.

"_Lina_!"

"Oh my god, York, are you okay?!" She leaned over to give him a tight hug, ignoring his pained whimpers in response.

"The doctor is being a pain my _ass_," he grumbled.

"Dude, he's trying to _help_ you," his friend Chris commented from a chair in the corner as he flipped through a sports magazine.

"But I don't _want_ to be all drugged up!"

"If you refuse to accept treatment then I can't force you, but I highly suggest getting a morphine shot in the next half an hour."

Carolina glanced over at the doctor she hadn't noticed standing on the other side of the bed. He was older, likely in his forties, with a full head of black hair peppered with gray streaks. He was wearing a pair of thin-framed glasses and managed to look fairly imposing, even as Maine came over to stand next to him so he could glare down at York.

York swallowed roughly. "Uh, Lina, what's _he_ doing here?"

"Maine drove me. It's a long story." She held out her hand to shake the doctor's hand. "I'm Carolina. Feel free to just drug him up as you see fit."

"I may do that," he replied with a smile.

"Hey, you can't take orders from her! What kind of doctor _are_ you?"

"The kind that wants his patients to get better," the man replied, looking back at York. "By the way, if you need anything, my name is Doctor Bellman."

"Whatever," York muttered.

Another doctor ducked into the room. "Hey, Delta, we got a situation over in 415, get over there!" He disappeared and Doctor Bellman, apparently nicknamed Delta, nodded at them.

"Well, I guess I have to go. I'll check on you in half an hour and see if you're begging me for that morphine yet, Sean." He left the room and Chris followed, saying something about needing a break from babysitting duty. Carolina pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down to hold York's hand. Maine continued standing silently.

"You're freaking me out, man," York said to Maine, who cracked a small smile. "Uh, thanks for driving Lina?"

Maine nodded. "Do you want some water?" he asked, looking pointedly at Carolina.

"No thanks."

"Hey, what about _me_?"

"I didn't ask _you_." Maine turned and left the room so they could have some privacy. York looked over at Carolina, who looked exhausted.

"Hey," he said softly, reaching up with his free hand to stroke her cheek. "Thanks for coming."

"How stupid_ are _you?" she blurted out, swatting his hand away.

"What?!"

"What happened? Were you messing around on the site? Is your leg going to be okay? Are—"

"Shh, babe, shh," York soothed. "It was just an accident. They happen. Someone didn't secure a couple of beams tightly enough and they fell. One hit me in the leg and I went down with it, and all I remember after that is a lot of pain. Doctor says I was lucky and it only shattered some of my ankle, but that it'll heal pretty quickly. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Carolina sniffed back tears she hadn't realized had formed. "That wasn't a phone call I needed to ever get," she said.

"Babe, I'm _sorry_. Really."

"I know."

"But hey!" She looked up at York, who was smiling. "Now we get to see each other sooner than we thought! I'm obviously not going back to work anytime soon. Good thing I was saving most of my paychecks, huh?"

"How long will it take for your ankle to heal?"

"Doc was filling me in on all that but I was pretty doped up earlier, so I don't remember." York shrugged, picking at a stray piece of dust on his hospital gown. "I think I can get out of here later tonight though. Though I don't know which I'd prefer, staying here or having Maine drive us home." He shuddered.

"He's really sweet once you get to know him. Besides, he and North are going through a…rough patch right now, and I think he could really use a friend."

"If you haven't noticed, the guy _hates_ me."

"He'll come around."

York leaned back against his pillow, closing his eyes. "I think I need a nap."

"How's the leg feeling?"

"Painful."

"Do you want me to track down Doctor Bellman for you?"

"…Maybe."

"I'll be right back." She stood up and leaned over to kiss him on the forehead before leaving. As she closed the door behind her, she looked up to see Maine leaning against the wall just outside.

"How is he?" Maine asked.

"He'll be fine, don't worry."

"I wasn't."

"You know, I bet you two could be good friends if either of you just _tried_."

"I'm not with North anymore. Why does matter?"

Carolina rolled her eyes. "Come on, North will take you back in a heartbeat if you two would just _talk_."

"Did we not finish this discussion in the car?"

"Fine, avoid it, whatever. But we're not done."

Maine shrugged and pushed himself away from the wall, walking down the hallway. Carolina went over to the nurses' station around the corner and smiled at the attendant behind the counter.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can find Doctor Bellman?"

The man nodded. "Delta? He's around somewhere. I'll page him. I'm guessing your boyfriend needs some morphine?"

She nodded. "Did he warn you or something?"

"Nah, we've just been taking bets on how long it would be until he caved. That boy is _stubborn_."

"Oh, trust me, I know."

"Anyway, I'll have the doctor stop by as soon as possible."

"Thank you." She went back to York's room and pushed open the door. He was fast asleep, half-covered by a thin blanket. His hands were clenched at his sides, one of them opening and closing slightly, his fingers flexing in his sleep. She sat down in the chair beside the bed and leaned back, wanting to fall asleep but knowing she couldn't in such an uncomfortable chair. A few minutes passed and she closed her eyes, slowing her breathing.

"Leave her alone!"

Carolina sat up, feeling slightly disoriented after having apparently passed out for a minute. "What? York, are you—"

York shifted in his sleep, pulling his arm up to his chest, the various tubes and wires connected to it losing their slack. "Don't, David," he mumbled. She watched his face twist in pain as she stood up. "You promised!"

"York!"

His eyes flew open and he stared up at Carolina, sheer panic written across his face. They stared at each other for a few seconds before she reached out to hold her palm to his cheek. Finally he relaxed, the panic being replaced by an embarrassed smile.

"Was I talking in my sleep or something?" he asked. "You look freaked out."

"No, you were just…moving a lot, that's all. I was worried."

"Sorry, babe. I'll try to stay still. I just hate being cooped up in here."

"We'll be going home soon, I promise."

Doctor Bellman chose that moment to stick his head in the door. "You awake?" he asked.

"Yeah."

He came inside holding a small needle filled with clear liquid. "Is your leg hurting yet?"

"Yeah." York sounded embarrassed but held his head high as the doctor came over to his bedside, sticking the needle into the tube attached to the back of his hand.

"There, that'll hit you really soon. Is there anything else I can do for you right now?"

"You can tell me why you're nicknamed Delta," York said, grinning.

Doctor Bellman smiled. "It's an old med school nickname that somehow caught on. I was always very analytical and refused to do anything that wasn't protocol. Eventually I learned that's not always the case, and I lightened up over the years. But since I've been at this hospital since my residency, the name stuck and I can't seem to get away from it. It's kind of comforting though, in a way."

"Do you know when I can leave?" he asked. His words were beginning to slur slightly as the morphine kicked in.

"You can leave in the morning. We're going to put a cast on your leg later tonight and then keep you overnight for observation."

"But I wanna go home…"

"You can go home tomorrow. I'm sure your girlfriend here won't mind staying the evening."

Carolina nodded. "Can I maybe get a better chair or something in here, so I can get some sleep?"

"We actually have roll-away cots, I can bring one in. What about your friend? The, uh, large fellow." Doctor Bellman gestured a hand high in the air, attempting to indicate Maine's height.

"I'll ask if he wants to stay here, or maybe get a hotel room somewhere."

"There's actually a motel up the road where a lot of families of patients stay. It's cheap and a little run-down, but better than a lot of others at the edge of town."

"Sounds great, I'll let him know."

"All right, I've got other people to check on, but let me know if he needs anything." The doctor looked back at York, who was already asleep, his head lolled to the side. Carolina nodded and he left, partially shutting the door behind him.

(break)

"What's the plan?" Maine asked, staring into the vending machine. It was late; he hadn't checked a clock in a while, but last time he had it was nearly midnight. Carolina had gone with York to get his cast put on a couple hours earlier, and he'd stayed out of the way, reading magazines and trying to chat up any cute male nurses and doctors scurrying around.

Carolina shrugged. "I'm going to stay the night with York. You're welcome to stay here, or the doctor mentioned a motel down the road, if you prefer that."

"I'll sleep in the car." Maine turned away from the machine, realizing there was nothing he could really eat in it.

"You barely fit in that thing to drive, how will you _sleep_ in it?"

"I'll manage."

"Maine, come on. Let me pay for a room for the night."

"It's fine. Stay with York. I'll figure something out."

"_Maine_."

He looked down at Carolina, who was glaring up at him, hands on her hips. For such a tiny girl, she was surprisingly headstrong. "Carolina."

"Look, I really appreciate the ride—"

"As you've said already."

"—but I feel terrible just leaving you hanging around like this. Why don't you want to get a room?"

Maine shrugged. "Don't like sleeping alone these days."

Carolina's look of frustration melted away to understanding. "It's been a rough week for you, hasn't it?"

He shrugged again. "I'll be fine."

"Do you want to sleep in the room with me and York?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Probably wouldn't fit."

"We'll make it work. Come on, let's go ask for another cot. Maybe they have an extra-long one."

Maine stretched his arms up over his head, suddenly feeling exhausted. "Don't want to be a bother."

"You're not a bother. If anything, _I'm_ the bother, since I made you drive me so far."

"You're a friend."

Carolina smiled up at him. "Thanks, Maine. You're a really sweet guy, you know that?"

He grunted in response, the outpouring of affection reminding him a little too much of _him_. "We should sleep," he replied, walking ahead of her towards the nurses' station.

(break)

York slowly awoke the next morning as sunlight was hitting his face and chest, warming him better than the blanket had during the night. He hadn't gotten much consistent sleep anyway, with all the stupid nurses stopping in every hour to check his vitals and pain levels. Eventually he'd slept right through a couple of the checkups, getting some much-needed rest.

He sat up and reached behind him with his free arm to adjust his pillow, glancing around. Carolina was lying on a small cot on the right side of his bed, a thin blanket draped over her legs, and she was using her coat as a makeshift blanket for her upper body. Over near the doorway was another cot, barely holding Maine as he dozed lightly, lying on his back with his arms behind his head.

"Carolina?" York said quietly, reaching over to nudge her shoulder. She stirred and cracked open an eye, smiling up at him.

"Oh good, you're awake!"

"Did you _both_ sleep here all night?"

She sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah. Barely, anyway. Kept waking up when the nurses would come in."

"Yeah, you're telling me." York tried to shift his leg and let out a pained whine. "I can't wait to get home and get some uninterrupted sleep."

Maine sat up on his cot and let out a massive yawn, scratching the back of his head. "Can we go home yet?" he asked gruffly, looking over at them.

"If the doctor says I can, then yes," York replied. "Sorry you had to stay all night, man."

"S'okay. How's the ankle?"

"Hurts. How's your hand?"

Maine grinned and clenched his fingers into a fist against the bandage. "Probably hurts less."

"Fuck you."

"No thanks."

"Am I interrupting?" Doctor Bellman stuck his head in the door, frowning at Maine, who at least had the decency to act slightly sheepish. "I just wanted to let you know you're scheduled to get out of here at noon."

"Yes!" York high-fived Carolina. "Oh man, I can't wait."

"We just need to take you for a quick x-ray to make sure everything's setting correctly in the cast. So, if you don't mind, we'll leave your friends behind for just a little while longer."

"But if they don't dance, then they're no friends of mine," York cracked.

The doctor rolled his eyes. "Maybe I can get you out sooner than noon. Let's go." He grabbed a wheelchair from the hallway and rolled it inside, sitting it next to the bed. Maine came over and pushed Doctor Bellman out of the way, putting his hands underneath York's shoulders to help him sit up.

"Dude, I _can_ get up," York huffed.

Maine growled and lifted York up from the bed, pivoting so he would land in the chair that the doctor had positioned next to them. He settled York into the chair and helped set his feet carefully on the pedals, taking extra care with the cast.

"Thank you," the doctor said. Maine nodded a reply and sat down on the now-vacant bed, leaning back against the pillows. York scowled at him as he was wheeled out of the room and out of view.

"He's fun to piss off," Maine said, chuckling lightly. Carolina reached over and smacked him on the arm, grinning.


	10. Chapter 10

**Part 18**

"I don't care for this at _all_," York bitched from the backseat of Maine's car.

He was stuck lying across the entire backseat, his cast propped up on a pile of their coats for padding, body turned awkwardly so his back was against the padded seat instead of the door. A stolen hospital pillow was helping keep him from bruising his side against the door handle. A paper bag filled with prescriptions was on the floor

"You'll be fine," Maine said from the driver's seat, starting the engine. Carolina turned and reached back to squeeze York's hand.

"We'll be back soon," she said with a smile. York nodded and leaned back against the pillow, closing his eyes.

Soon they were on the highway headed home. The traffic was just as bad as it had been the previous day and eventually they found themselves at a stop. York was passed out, snoring lightly, and Carolina and Maine were passing the time playing the license plate game.

"Colorado," she pointed out.

"Iowa."

She craned her head to look around the cars ahead of them. "Dammit, I can't see anything."

"Wait until we move some more."

"So, about North—"

"I decided I'll talk to him."

"Really?" Carolina reached over to pat his arm. "I'm so glad!"

"If he turns me down, I'm coming after you."

Oddly, she wasn't very worried. "It's a deal."

Maine was silent for a minute, his brow furrowed in thought. "Do you think he'll let me apologize?" he asked softly, worry in his voice.

"I really think he will. But don't do all the apologizing. He owes you a _huge_ one for how he treated you."

"He's never yelled before."

Carolina pushed some hair behind her ear, thinking. "I think he's more invested than you realize. Yelling was just his…well, admittedly very _poor_ way of showing it. He never really gets mad unless he really wants to drive a point home, you know? Think of how he acts with Wash and York. Even when they're arguing, North is never the one that yells unless it's something he's really passionate about."

"That doesn't make sense. If he cares, why yell at _all_?"

"Because I don't think he's ever been in this sort of a relationship before. It's new to him."

Maine shook his head. "He's had boyfriends before."

"But not a _partner_." She emphasized the word with a hand on his shoulder. He looked over at her, trying to look neutral, but she could tell he was worried. "Give him a chance."

"Okay."

They both turned to look out the windshield again. Finally the traffic started moving slowly and they pulled forward. They got past the clogged traffic and were driving at a normal speed after a short while.

"Georgia," Carolina said, pointing ahead of them to a blue sports car.

"Wash," Maine replied, turning on his turn signal to shift into another lane.

"Washington? Where?" She looked at the other cars. "I don't see one."

"Not talking about cars."

"Oh." She leaned back against the seat, avoiding looking over at him. "What do you mean?"

"Something going on?"

She shook her head. "No. Why?"

"He's been weird the last couple months. Just curious."

"Weird? How so?"

Maine shrugged. "Just weird. Hard to explain."

"I'd appreciate it if you'd try."

"Little things. Talks about you less often. North mentioned he was asking about moving out."

"But where would he move to?"

"Didn't say. North was acting weird too." Maine frowned and reached up to flip the sun visor down. "I didn't ask why."

Carolina shifted in the seat to look at him. "I thought he was fine. He's been sort-of dating that girl, right?"

"Last I heard."

She leaned her head against the headrest, looking at York out of the corner of her eye. He was still snoring and hadn't moved the entire time. "Do you think I should talk to him?"

"I don't like to give advice. Live your own life."

"You've gotten to know him; do you think something's wrong? Did I do something to make him mad?"

Maine let out a sigh. "'Mad' isn't the right emotion. Maybe you should talk to him."

"What do you mean?"

"Talk to him. Soon. Before…" Maine hesitated, glancing over at her. "Before things get away from all of you."

"All of—who are you talking about?"

He opened his mouth to reply but York let out a yawn from the backseat, stretching out his arms over his head. "Oh my_ god_ that was a good nap. Where are we?"

"Nearly halfway home," Carolina said, smiling back at him. "How's your leg?"

"Uncomfortable," he said. "Hey Maine, can you ease up on the bumps? Some of us are in crushing pain back here."

Maine nodded and jerked the car slightly, staying in the lane but forcing York to smack his head against the window. A stream of cursing followed as Maine grinned, raising his eyebrow at Carolina. She was busy struggling not to laugh.

(break)

Maine opened the car door and reached in to help York get out, but was swatted away. He stepped back and waited patiently as York grabbed onto the top of the door, hauling himself out of the car. He set his foot on the ground and put his weight on his good leg as Carolina came over, looping his arm over her shoulders.

"You okay?"

He nodded. "Let's just get upstairs. Are you sure it's okay for me to stay with you for a while?"

"Of course, hon." Carolina smiled. "Come on, everyone's waiting for you inside."

"Everyone?" Maine echoed, a worried look shadowing his face.

"Yes, _everyone_," Carolina repeated. "Come on. You're coming with us."

"Going home." He started walking over to the driver's side of the car. Carolina slipped out from underneath York's arm, leaving him to lean on the car door as she ran around the other side, grabbing Maine's hand. He stared down at her, looking uncomfortable.

"It'll be okay," she said quietly, squeezing his hand. He shook his head and tried to pull away, but she had a strong grip when she was determined.

"_Please_." His tone was pleading, outright upset.

"Maine, trust me. You can trust me, right?" Carolina looked up at him with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. He shook his head.

"I don't—"

"Can someone _please_ help me get up the stairs?" York interrupted, rolling his eyes. "I can't exactly limp my way up three flights."

Maine ripped his hand out of Carolina's and stomped over to York, wrapping his arms around his chest to pick him up as though he weighed nothing. York tried to flail his way out of the grip but failed spectacularly as his cast hit the still-open car door, prompting a blood-curdling scream from him. Carolina shouted for Maine to let him go but he ignored her, dragging York up the stairs towards her apartment.

Once upstairs, Carolina dashed ahead of them to open the door, swinging it open so that Maine could finish 'helping' York get inside. The three of them paused in the doorway, seeing North, Wash, CT, and Dakota waiting in the living room, their mouths hanging open at the spectacle of York screaming bloody murder in Maine's arms.

The room exploded with noise as Dakota and CT rushed over to pull York out of Maine's arms, York's yells getting louder. Wash started lecturing Carolina on not calling anyone as North and Maine immediately started yelling at each other. The rest of the noise died down as everyone started paying attention to the two men facing each other, barely a foot of space between them, North holding his own as he jabbed a finger into Maine's chest, prompting the taller man to growl in between shouts. Apparently Wash, CT, and Dakota hadn't been filled in on their breakup and the rest of the group stared at the unfolding fight.

"Get the fuck out of my apartment!" North was yelling, gesturing towards the door.

"We're not _in_ your apartment, we're in _Carolina's_ and _she invited me in_!" Maine shouted back.

"I don't care! These are _my_ friends and they don't want you here!"

"You should ask them—Carolina's _my friend too_ and I'll stay here if I want!"

"You're such a fucking—"

"What, a fucking _what_? Just say it—uncaring, unfeeling _brute_?"

"I was going to say _asshole_ but I guess you just summed it up _for_ me!"

Maine's fists were clenched at his sides and he took a deep breath. "_I_ wasn't even the one who _ended_ this!" he yelled, obviously struggling to remain in place and not run away. Carolina took a step towards him but Wash shot his arm out, stopping her with a shake of his head.

"You stood me up! On fucking _Valentine's Day_!What the fuck was I supposed to do, just let that _go_?"

"I tried to explain but you wouldn't—"

"Like you even _had_ a good excuse, I bet you were just at the gym or—"

"Can you let me fucking _talk_, North, I—"

"_Right_, because you just _love_ to talk, isn't that right, you never want to just—"

"Goddammit, I knew this was going to happen, this is why I didn't want to even _try_—"

"You don't even _care_ that I cared so much about you, and you just let that go away like it was nothing—"

"You were ignoring me! I even tried to call you at work but you wouldn't fucking _take my calls_!"

"Like it would have _mattered_!" North finally stepped back, his cheeks red with anger. "I said we were done, and I meant it!"

"Because of _one fucking night_? Dammit, John, you're such a—"

"Say it!"

Maine reached out and grabbed North by the shoulders, pulling him forward into a passionate kiss. North's eyes closed as they pressed into each other, his hands working their way up to Maine's back, grabbing handfuls of his shirt as though he would pull away if given the chance.

The sudden silence was pierced by a happy squeak from CT, who had her hands up at her mouth, grinning happily. Maine and North broke apart and North stepped back a couple paces, shaking his head.

"I fucking _love you_, you _fucktard_," he said.

"I love you too, you _cockbite_."

"_Wow_."

They looked over at York, who was still leaning against Dakota, one hand on the wall to steady himself. "What?" North growled, sounding exactly like Maine.

"If you two are done making up, can someone help me to bed? My ankle is fucking _killing_ me."

Maine grabbed North's arm and pulled him back as the girls each grabbed one of York's arms, carefully walking him back towards Carolina's bedroom. Wash started to go after them but Maine held out his arm to block his way, shaking his head.

"North and I are going to go talk at his place," he said, giving Carolina a look that was clearly meant to mean 'fucking talk to him.' She nodded and watched them leave. Wash looked at her, confused.

"What's up?" he said. "Is York okay? Your text this morning didn't exactly give me a lot of details, and I—"

"York's fine. I'm fine. _We're_ fine," Carolina replied, a little too hastily. Wash's face sank a little only briefly, before his regular smile took over.

"That's good. Oh, I wanted to apologize."

"For what?"

"For whatever I did that pissed you off enough to ignore me for the past week," Wash said, shrugging. "Honestly, I can't think of anything I did or said, but clearly something got misinterpreted or…well, I don't know."

Carolina shook her head. "No, it's not—it's really nothing, Wash."

"Clearly it's _something_. I saw the look Maine gave you just now. I assume you talked to him in the car about whatever it was."

"No, it's nothing. I promise."

"Look, Lina, you can talk to me about anything, you know that right?" Wash reached out and touched her arm, lightly running his fingers down her forearm to her hand, stopping to lace their fingers together. "We're _friends_. That's what friends do."

She started to reply but yelling from the bedroom interrupted her thoughts. Dakota and CT came out of the room a second later, glaring at Carolina.

"York wants you," CT said at the same time as Dakota said "That boy is a _pain_." They grabbed their purses from the couch and left the apartment, and Wash smiled at Carolina, still holding her hand. She glanced down and he dropped it quickly, the smile fading a little.

"Sounds like your boyfriend needs some help," he said, starting to move towards the door. "Oh, by the way, Phyllis is visiting next week. That's what I've been trying to tell you all week. I wanted the four of us to go to dinner, is that okay?"

Carolina smiled. "Sounds great. I can't wait to meet her."

"I'll text you later then."

She nodded and he left, closing the door behind him. She sighed and went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, picking up a bag of chips for a snack as she made her way to the bedroom.

**Part 19**

A week later, York was definitely on the mend.

He hated sitting around the apartment unable to do anything, and kept finding excuses to get up and help make meals, or do laundry, or hobble around with a duster, trying to clean the shelves. Usually Carolina would find him and make him sit or lay down, but he'd find another excuse to get up again minutes later.

York was _bored_ and nothing was working to fix it. He'd watched most of the movies he'd put off over the years, and started a handful of new television shows, none of which captured his further interest. Carolina kept finding books for him to read and they'd even taken a trip to the library, but he'd never been much of a reader and couldn't find anything that was interesting enough to finish besides a couple of mysteries, and he'd been able to solve the cases before the detectives, so that had been pretty pointless.

"Can we _please_ go out to the bar?" York asked, lying on the couch with his foot up on the armrest. Carolina was sitting on the floor right in front of the couch, eating popcorn from a bowl in her lap as they watched a movie. "I promise I won't mess around, or play pool, or do anything to hurt myself. I _promise_."

"The doctor said to keep you under control for the first couple of weeks, even if that cast is sturdy," Carolina replied firmly. "Too much movement might aggravate something."

"Then can we at _least_ have sex? You can be on top, I won't even _move_!"

She reached up to smack him on the arm. "York, come on. I'm trying to watch the movie."

"This movie _sucks_. Couldn't you at least get one less girly?"

She shook her head and ate another handful of popcorn. "This guy is hot. I want to watch _this_ one. Shush."

York rolled his eyes and leaned back to stare at the ceiling. Eventually he drifted off to sleep, dreaming of doing skateboard tricks and jumping a motorcycle over a bus.

(break)

"So you're finally letting me out of house arrest? Thank _god_."

"We've gone out, don't make it sound like I've kept you locked in the bedroom."

"You practically _have_ though…"

Carolina smiled. "Remember to be on your best behavior, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. What's her name again?"

"Phyllis."

"Sounds like such an…_old_ name," York said with a smile. "Knowing Wash though, I bet she's hot. He has great taste in women."

Carolina tried not to think about other implications of that as they made their way upstairs to North and Wash's apartment. She helped York up the stairs with the use of a pair of crutches and got to the apartment, opening the door automatically. They rarely bothered to knock lately, it was usually open for them.

"_Hey_, they're _here_!" Wash materialized out of nowhere and was instantly in front of them, giving Carolina a tight hug and slapping York on the back. A young woman was seated at the dining room table with North and Maine, and stood up as Carolina and York followed Wash over to the group. "Guys, this is Phyllis. Phyllis, this is York and Carolina."

The woman smiled at them and extended a hand. York was the first to reciprocate and shook it firmly, grinning. He raised an eyebrow at Carolina as if to say 'I was right.' She rolled her eyes at him and shook Phyllis' hand politely.

She was definitely what Carolina would categorize as 'stunning.' Tall, thin, able to pull off the tricky combination of true skinny jeans and black ankle boots, paired with a fitted hunter-green button-up blouse with a small ruffle down the front. Her hair hung to her waist and was shinier than Carolina had ever seen on anyone, a beautiful strawberry blonde shade that leaned a little more towards red than blonde. It definitely suited her fair skin tone.

"Oh, hello you two. It is so nice to meet you!" Phyllis said with a giant smile. Wash stood next to her, grinning like an idiot and slightly blushing. "I've heard _so_ much about both of you!"

"We've…not heard much about you, but we should fix that!" York was saying as he hobbled to the other side of the table to sit down. Carolina caught Wash's eye and he turned away quickly, sitting down between Phyllis and North. Maine was on North's other side, next to where York had decided to sit, leaving Carolina to sit on Phyllis' other side at the rounded table. North started passing around plates of food as Phyllis offered Carolina some wine.

"Oh, thanks," she said, holding up her glass. Phyllis poured her some of the deep red liquid and set the bottle down, picking up her own glass.

"To new friends," she toasted, clinking her glass to Carolina's. She echoed the sentiment and took a long drink, feeling uneasy.

"So, how did you two meet again?" York asked, scooping some carrots onto his plate.

"Oh, that's the _cutest_ story," Phyllis said, reaching over to pat Wash on the shoulder. "We were both in the same master's program, and we had to take a seminar where we learned how to deal with problematic children. Most of us were panicking, because we had no idea how to even start. But David just sat down next to the guy playing the child, put a hand on his arm, and started talking in the sweetest voice to calm him down. He explained that sometimes you get frustrated, but you can't take it out on the people trying to help you. We thought he had aced it, but the 'kid' started throwing things around the room. That's when David sat him down and said that if he didn't stop being a pain, his parents were going to get a divorce because of him and Santa wouldn't bring him any presents because he wasn't real."

"Oh my _god_," North and York said in unison. Maine continued eating, nodding approvingly. Wash's cheeks turned scarlet.

"I was _frustrated_," he said, shaking his head. "I nearly failed the seminar right then. It was only because of Phyllis that I stayed. She managed to convince the teacher that I was from a broken home myself and that something must have triggered my old feelings. For whatever reason, he bought that and we became friends on the spot."

"Aw, that's so adorable," Carolina said with a smile. Wash glanced over at her and back down at his plate a second later.

"We started spending time together outside of classes, but then we graduated and I had to go back home because my dad became sick. David tracked me down online and we started talking again, and well, here I am." Phyllis took a sip of her water.

"I thought you were blonde," North observed. "At least you were when I said hi to you that one time you two were Skyping."

Phyllis nodded. "I normally am, but I thought it would be fun to surprise David when I visited. He mentioned once that he likes redheads, so I figured, why not try it out? I think it's fun."

North grinned and nudged Wash with his elbow. "Looks like he has a type," he said with a joking tone. Wash shot him a look and he backed away, leaning against Maine's shoulder.

"I don't have a type—I just—whatever. I think she looks really nice." Wash smiled at Phyllis, who blushed.

"Thank you," she said with a small smile. "I'm not one to normally do such drastic things to myself."

"It's just hair," Carolina said, stabbing a piece of her steak with her fork. "You could change it if you don't like it."

"No, I _do_ like it. But you're right, I suppose. It _is_ easy to change. Have you ever considered dying yours, Carolina?"

She thought for a moment as she chewed. "No," she finally said after swallowing. "I like my red hair. Makes me more unique, in a way."

"It's a great color on you," Wash said. She noticed York glance over at him and he quickly added, "But whatever color it is, I'm sure York would love it."

"I prefer the red," York agreed, reaching over to put his arm around Carolina, almost protectively, she realized.

North cleared his throat suddenly, getting everyone's attention. "Would anyone like a refill of their wine? Or food? Or anything?" He stood up, picking up the now-empty pitcher of water sitting on the table. No one said anything so he went into the kitchen alone.

"How long are you staying?" Maine asked.

"A few more days," Phyllis replied. "It was originally supposed to be a week-long visit, but my car needs repairs and I can't afford to miss more work."

"Oh, that's too bad," York said. "I bet Wash loves having you here."

"You know, that reminds me—why do all of you call him 'Wash' instead of David?" Phyllis asked, frowning over at Wash. "He mentioned the nickname a long time ago, but said he preferred people calling him by his real name. Obviously that's not the case with any of you."

"I don't mind the nickname, but I usually like to get to know someone first before they call me that," Wash cut in, smiling at her. "I've tried to get you to use it, but you seem to like using my name instead."

"If it helps me fit in better with your friends, of course I'll use the nickname." Phyllis leaned over and kissed Wash on the cheek.

Carolina stared intensely at her plate, forcing herself to avoid eye contact with Wash. If what Phyllis had said was true, then why did Wash tell her to use the nickname the night they met? _Why would he lie to Phyllis about something as stupid as a nickname?_ she mentally asked, realizing the carrots on her plate had a strange-looking texture to them. She blinked and her eyes uncrossed, giving her a headache.

(break)

Finally dinner was over, and they were sitting in the living room, making small talk.

"So, do you think you'd ever move out here to be with Wash?" York asked, leaning against Carolina on the couch. His foot was propped up on the table and Wash and Phyllis were sitting on the floor opposite everyone else. Maine was sitting on the other end of the couch, holding North on his lap, his arms wrapped around North's waist, their hands entwined.

Phyllis looked over at Wash, who was staring at the ground. "We haven't talked about such matters," she replied, looking uncomfortable. "We're just seeing how it goes right now. Does that make sense?"

"Oh, of course. I mean, you guys don't want to rush into anything." York smiled. "I think you two are great together, at least from the short time we've met you."

"Oh, thank you, York. That means a lot to me."

"If you'll all excuse me for a minute, I need to hobble to the bathroom now." York pushed himself off the couch and Carolina stood up to help him. "No, hon, I can be self-sufficient," he argued, grabbing his crutches from where they were leaning against the couch back. He positioned them under his arms and headed for the bathroom, the crutches clicking against the carpeted floor. After he closed the door, North stood up and leaned down to kiss Maine on the tip of his nose.

"I better go make sure he doesn't break something else," he said, and Maine nodded. North disappeared down the hallway.

"What do you guys do for fun around here?" Phyllis asked, looking at Carolina.

She shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Sometimes we go to the bar to play pool, or just have a drink. North and my friend CT go to see movies pretty often. I like to just go for walks. The city is really pretty at night."

"You never told me you play pool!" Phyllis nudged Wash, who grinned. "Are you any good?"

"Carolina usually wins," he admitted. "But I can hold my own against York and North."

"Oh, it's okay to say you suck," Carolina said. Wash pouted at her.

"I don't suck! I'm just not as good!"

"Which means you suck. Just say it—'Carolina, you're the best at pool and I, Wash, have never won a game.'"

"Shut up!"

"You two seem to have a rivalry going on there," Phyllis cut in, looking uncomfortable again.

"Yeah, Lina likes to win and it's annoying," Wash said.

"_You're _annoying," Carolina shot back. "What the hell is taking North and York so long?" she asked, realizing they'd been gone longer than normal.

"York _is_ on crutches," Maine pointed out, reaching over to the small end table to pick up his glass of wine.

"Ugh, I'll go check on them." Carolina stood up and walked over to the hallway. She turned the corner and saw North standing in the doorway, talking to York, who was leaning on one of his crutches. She stopped and stepped back out of view.

"It's a good thing," York said, half-shrugging. "She's nice."

"You're acting weird. What's up?" North had his arms crossed over his chest.

"Nothing. Just something you said."

"Which was?"

"That thing about Wash having a type. Redheads, right? What was _that_ supposed to mean?"

North shook his head. "Nothing, I was just messing with him. You know, since he dated Lina before you."

"They didn't _date_—they went out _once_."

"Hey, you don't need to get all bent out of shape about it. It was a _joke_, York. That's all."

"Yeah. A joke. Okay."

Carolina stepped into view with a forced smile. "What on Earth is taking you guys so long?" she asked, walking towards York. "Does it really take two of you to go to the bathroom?"

North grinned. "Sorry, Lina, we were just talking about what to have for dessert. I forgot to bake anything, so I was thinking of running to the store for a cake. You said chocolate, right, York?"

York nodded. "Yeah, chocolate. Sounds good." He turned to Carolina as he adjusted himself on his crutches again. "Ready to head out there again?"

"Sure." She waited for him to leave the bathroom entryway and shut off the light behind him, following him and North back into the living room.


	11. Chapter 11

**Part 20**

Carolina slammed the door behind her and dropped her backpack on the ground near the door, slinking towards the bedroom. As soon as she got to the bed she flopped down face-first onto the comforter, letting out a groan.

"Babe?" York came into the room on his crutches and saw her lying on the bed. "Uh, how was class?"

"Shitty," she replied, rolling over to look at him. "It's gonna be so much work and I don't think I'm ready to go back to grad school. Maybe I should just stay at my job and let my soul continue rotting there."

"Lina, it's gonna be okay."

"You were right. I shouldn't have bothered; I'll just drop out—"

"_Stop it_. We talked about this three weeks ago. What did I tell you then?"

(break; flashback)

_"So, uh, I have something I want to float by you," Carolina said, muting the television. York glanced over at her, absently playing with the edge of his cast._

_"Anything, hon, what's up?"_

_"You remember when North and I were talking a couple months ago about me going back to school?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Well, I was looking into it, and…there's this class that starts in April at the college that helps people like me do that. It teaches you how to apply, and makes sure that you have the requirements filled, stuff like that."_

_"Oh, that sounds helpful."_

_"Yeah. It's pretty affordable, and I was thinking of enrolling. Signups close next week."_

_"I think you should go for it."_

_She smiled. "Really? You seemed pretty against the idea before."_

_"That was before, when you sounded like you wanted to move to New York right then. I've been thinking about it, and I think it's great that you want to continue your education. It'll get you better jobs in the future, right?"_

_"Yeah. Are you sure? I don't want you freaking out that I'm going to move away or something."_

_"Well, we'll talk about that if it happens. I mean, it's not like I can't come with you or something."_

_"You'd…move with me if I moved away?"_

_"We'd have to talk about it, but it's definitely something I've thought about." York scratched his chin, smiling at her. "Look, Lina, I want you to be happy. Would taking this class make you happy?"_

_"I think it'd help."_

_"Then do it."_

_ (break)_

"You said I should do it if it makes me happy," she mumbled into the crook of her arm. He leaned the crutches against the edge of the bed and sat next to her.

"It was only the first day. Give it a chance."

"I feel so stupid there. Everyone else seems to have their lives figured out, and just want to go back to school because it's fun or something."

"Yeah, because I'm sure that's why everyone else is there." York rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's go grab a drink with the guys. I'm sure they're at the bar."

"Night classes suck," she complained as she sat up. "I feel like my whole night is just shot."

"Come on, a drink will help."

She helped him to his feet and he grabbed his crutches. "Fine. Should I text someone?"

"Nah, North called earlier to go out, but I said I was waiting for you to get home. He said they'd be out until late celebrating his and Maine's seven-month anniversary."

"Seven months? That's an odd number to celebrate. Are they not counting the week they were broken up?"

"Something about it being lucky, I dunno. Let's go."

(break)

"Oh my god _thank you for coming_," Wash greeted them as Carolina and York came over to the booth everyone was sitting in.

Dakota was over at the bar chatting up a guy, clearly flirting as she kept brushing her hand against his arm. CT was getting more drinks for everyone, nudging Dakota's leg with her foot to throw her off her game. Wash was sitting in the booth, nursing a beer as North sat on Maine's lap at the other end of the booth, passionately making out.

Carolina slipped in next to Wash and laughed. "My, they're really celebrating, aren't they?"

"They haven't stopped for twenty minutes," Wash whined as York sat down on a chair at the table, making room for his crutches.

North made a noise and they looked over to see Maine grabbing onto his hair, pushing their faces even closer together, which seemed nearly impossible. They continued kissing, and as Carolina watched she saw Maine's tongue slip over North's, prompting a groan from the smaller man. He was already straddling Maine, their bodies practically merged into one as North moved one hand to grip the back of Maine's head, the other moving down his backside, fighting for a grip of Maine's shirt.

"This is…awkward," York said. "Lina, can you get us some drinks? I need to be _way_ less sober if I'm gonna have to watch this all night."

"_Gladly_." She got up and heard Wash complaining "you'd think they'd need to _breathe_" as she walked away, going up to CT.

"Hey!" CT said, handing her a full beer. "Here, take this." She picked up two more glasses and nodded towards the table. "Clearly you've already had a front-row seat of the live sex show going on there."

"I'm really happy for them, but it's a little awkward," Carolina agreed as they walked back to the table. She handed the beer she was holding to York, who took it and started chugging. CT sat down next to Wash and he smiled up at Carolina.

"Sorry, looks like I took your seat," CT said, shrugging.

"No, it's fine." She pulled up another chair and sat down next to York, putting her arm around his waist. "So how are you guys?"

"Good," they said at the same time. CT grinned. "I'll go first. I'm in _love_."

"Oh god, who now?"

"Real supportive, Lina. I'll have you know he's _gorgeous_ and we're going to have beautiful babies together."

"Does he know you exist?"

CT pouted. "Not yet. But he will! He's the barista at the Starbucks next to the courthouse. I stopped in there the other day and he was the _sweetest_. His name is Danny."

"Well, it sounds like you and Danny will be very happy together," York said with a laugh. "What've you been up to, Wash? You've been AWOL for the past couple of weeks. How's Phyllis doing?"

"She's fine, I think. We haven't talked for a week or so."

"Everything okay?"

"Eh, we kind of broke up…"

"Ah, man, what happened?"

Wash shrugged. "I dunno, we just decided we'd be better off as friends. Her visit went great, that wasn't the problem. She just said she didn't like the long-distance thing, and I agreed."

"Maybe you could go visit her more often?" Carolina suggested. Wash shook his head.

"No, it's okay. We agreed to still talk online, since we have a lot in common. But she's really busy right now, and—well, it just wasn't going to work out. Don't worry about it."

"Okay. I'm still sorry, man." York reached out to pat the back of Wash's hand. "Let me know if you need to talk or anything."

"Thanks, but I'll be okay." Wash smiled broadly. "Anyway, enough about me—how was the first night of class?"

Carolina hung her head. "It sucked," she replied. "I'm in way over my head."

"Aw, don't say that, it'll get easier."

"I hope so. It's only a six-week course; I can't afford to do poorly."

"Is it graded or something?"

"Well, no, but it's a lot of paperwork, like making sure you can handle it financially, and getting your credits in order. There's so much to think about, it's overwhelming."

"You can handle it." Wash grinned at her. "Just believe in yourself."

"I don't know if I _do_."

"Well, the rest of us do!"

"Thanks," Carolina mumbled, leaning on York's shoulder.

"Oh, have you started thinking about what you want to do for your birthday next month?" CT asked Carolina.

She shook her head. "No, I haven't even thought about it to be honest. I wouldn't mind staying in this year. I think I drank enough _last_ year to make up for it."

York nuzzled against her cheek. "Aw, babe, we'll do something fun for it, I promise."

"We'll see."

"You guys are harshing our vibe," North complained, finally coming up for air. Maine grabbed a glass of water from the table and drained it as North adjusted himself on his lap.

Wash rolled his eyes. "Can't you two just go home and fuck already? You're practically doing that _anyway_, and you're the ones making _us_ uncomfortable."

"Aw, can't handle a little gayness?" North teased, leaning in to lick Maine's earlobe.

"Can't handle seeing the kid I've known for nearly 20 years practically having sex at the table," Wash corrected.

Maine growled and stood up, picking North up with him since his legs were still wrapped around Maine's legs. "Home," he said gruffly, setting North down on the ground. He nodded and followed Maine out of the bar, smacking his ass as they walked. Wash scooted around the booth to get more room and let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank _god_, they're gonna do it at home," he said, dropping his head on the table. "I was honestly worried they weren't gonna stop."

"You _do _realize they're probably going to do it on _your_ bed, now that you interrupted them?" York chuckled. The blood drained from Wash's face and he grabbed his keys from the table, rushing out of the booth to run after them. Carolina smacked York on the arm.

"That was mean."

"True, though."

"Probably."

**Part 21**

Carolina sat at the kitchen table, looking over her paperwork scattered across the wood. All of the numbers were overwhelming her and she was taking often breaks to eat the cake she'd bought on the way home from work the day before.

"Everything okay?" York came inside, shutting the apartment door behind him. He had another box with him, looking like it was filled with clothes, and he set it down by the couch, walking over to her. He'd gotten a walking brace on his ankle a couple of weeks earlier and was using his newfound ability to walk to go between his apartment and hers to gather his stuff.

They'd talked about moving in together before, but usually dropped the idea because he wanted to keep his own space. After his accident Carolina had waited a couple of weeks to ask again, insisting that he was practically living their anyway, and given him his own copy of the apartment key. Surprisingly he'd accepted, and had been slowly moving his stuff over every few days when they had a chance. There wasn't a rush since his lease wasn't up until the beginning of June, but now that May had arrived they'd picked up the pace of getting his place cleared out.

"Just lots of stuff to think about," she replied, pushing a few papers away from herself. "What's all that?"

"Some of my clothes I don't wear often. I was going to toss them in the extra room for now. Hey, can I talk to you about something?" he asked, sitting down at the table with her.

"Sure, anything to get my mind off this stuff. What's going on?"

"Well, it's kind of a birthday surprise, but I thought you might like to know earlier. Besides, I don't want to wait two more weeks to surprise you." He looked like a six-year-old looking at a pile of presents on Christmas Eve.

"Uh, okay. What is it?"

"I gotta get the stuff, hang on." She stared after him as he walked as quickly as he could to the bedroom, hearing him rummaging around for something in a drawer. Finally he came back out and put a thin file folder on the table in front of her, flipping it open. He stood behind her and put a hand on her shoulder as he pointed to a color picture of a small house, painted a light yellow with white trim and a small attached garage. Information underneath the picture listed a three bedroom townhome with its own lawn and small backyard, along with some other stuff that began to look fuzzy as she felt her brain shutting down.

"What…what is this?" she asked, tilting her head as she tried to process everything.

"Okay, so, don't get mad, but I sort of bought a house."

"_WHAT_?!"

"See, this is why I said to _not_ get mad," York repeated, squeezing her shoulder as he flipped the page over to reveal another page filled with smaller photographs of the interior. She couldn't focus on them, instead turning her head to look up at him.

"What the fuck is this?"

"It's a house for _us_," he replied, pointing at the pictures. "See, it's got three bedrooms, a really nice kitchen, and even a little den instead of just a living room. We can turn one of the bedrooms into an office, and save one for future kids."

"York, what the _fuck are you talking about_?" Carolina pushed him away and stood up, pushing the folder away from her. "My lease isn't up until November, and you _just moved in_, and we haven't even been dating a year!"

"Lina, listen to me. I'm crazy about you, and you know that. I love you so much that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I—"

"No, no _no_," she interrupted, shaking her head. "You are _not proposing _like this—"

"No, I'm _not_," York said, reaching out to take her hand. "Look, I know this is unexpected, and really huge, but listen. I already talked to North and Wash, and Wash is willing to take over your lease here. He's wanted to move out of North's place anyway, since Maine practically lives there now. And, okay, I didn't technically _buy_ the house yet, I was going to do a rent-to-own deal for a year until we decided—"

"You've talked to _everyone but me_ about _buying a goddamn house_?!" she shrieked.

"I thought you'd be _happy_!" York nearly shouted, trying to control himself. "We've been doing great, and we love each other so much—think of this as a test-drive for marriage."

"A _test-drive for_—oh my fucking god, this is _insane_." Carolina collapsed to the floor, holding her head in her hands. "I can't handle this. You know I'm not good with commitment, we've talked about this, it's all moving too fast—"

"Lina." York knelt down, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I can get out of this if you want. I just—I thought you'd be _happy_. I want us to live together and I want to _marry you_ someday."

"What about grad school?" She looked up at him, struggling not to cry.

"Well, I thought you'd be applying to local schools anyway, so—"

"What about New York? What about _Columbia_?" Fury was building in her chest. "You just planned our entire future without even _considering_ what _I_ wanted!"

"You said you were _okay_ with a California school!"

"I said I was okay with the _idea_ of a school here, but that Columbia was my _dream_!"

"What the fuck am I supposed to do, back out of the lease?" York yelled, standing up.

She glared up at him. "You weren't supposed to _buy a goddamn house without my input_!" she yelled back, tears burning in her eyes.

"Okay, this isn't going to get resolved like this." York pressed his fingertips against his good eye, letting out a controlled breath. "Why don't we drop it tonight and discuss it later."

"I'm done _discussing_," Carolina said, standing up to stomp her foot on the ground. "I've _told_ you how I hate other people making decisions for me—and you go ahead and do it _anyway_!"

"Because I _love you_ and I thought you'd be _happy about it_!"

"I can't deal with this right now." Carolina walked over to where her purse was lying on the couch, kicking the box of York's clothes as she walked by. She picked it up and slung it over her shoulder, turning to see York shaking, his hands clenched at his sides, his face red with barely-controlled rage. "I'll be home later."

"I won't be."

"Fine." She walked over to the door and left, slamming it behind her as hard as she could.

(break)

"How long since you two talked?"

"Five days."

Wash sipped his coffee. "That's a long time."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious."

He raised an eyebrow. "Hey. Don't make me stop talking to you too."

Carolina sighed. "Sorry. I'm just…I still can't believe he _did_ that."

"To be fair, he didn't technically _buy_ the house—"

"Don't start. I can't _believe_ you guys didn't give me a heads-up on this. Seriously."

Wash frowned. "Because we thought you'd be _happy_, Lina. You and York are like, perfect for each other."

"Maybe that's not so true. I mean, how did we meet? Him throwing up everywhere. When did we first talk? When he was fake-drunk and _lying_ to me. When did we hook up? After a giant fight." She shook her head. "Maybe this is a sign that we should quit while we're ahead. Maybe we can still salvage a friendship."

"Is that what _you_ want? To break up with York?"

_Was that _hope_ in his voice? _"I don't think so. I still love him. Just…a little less right now, you know?"

Wash nodded, setting the coffee cup down. "I get it. Anything I can do to help? Beat up York for you?"

"Even with an ankle brace, he could probably take you."

"Yeah, you're right."

They sat in silence for a minute, sipping their drinks. People walked around them, sitting at nearby tables, chatting about friends and work and whatever else they had going on in their lives.

Carolina set down her drink and looked up at Wash. "Why did you push so hard for York and me to get together?" she asked, her voice slightly shaking. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer.

Wash hesitated, remaining motionless. "I don't know what you're talking about, Lina. I just thought you two would be good together."

"Stop lying, Wash."

She watched him let out a breath that he'd apparently been holding. "I wanted you to be with someone. Anyone," he finally said. "Didn't really matter who."

"Why? Why was it so important to you?"

Wash smiled that damn infuriating, casual smile of his. "I guess I _did_ lie to you once. On our date," he said, cocking his head.

"You…lied? About what?"

"I didn't want to just be friends. I just said that so you'd feel more comfortable about us, so we could get to know each other. I pushed you towards York so I could stop thinking about you, so we could spend more time together. Obviously that didn't work, and I started to think that maybe I could eventually make you see me romantically, if that even makes any sense. But then you and York actually _did_ get together, and you were so happy. _Both_ of you were so happy. I hadn't seen York like that in a long time."

"Wash, I—"

"I didn't want to make things weird between us, but now that they are, I'll stop hanging around as much. It'll be good for me anyway. I love York like a brother, and I don't want to ruin our friendship over something as silly as unrequited feelings of—" He hesitated. "Well, feelings."

"Is that why you and Phyllis stopped dating?"

"Well, the long-distance thing was true, but…she said she felt uncomfortable around me. Around _you_, really. Something about how clearly there was still something there, whether or not either of us admitted it. But I'm fine with it being one-way, Lina. Honest. Just give me some time and I'll get over it."

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Because you're _forcing_ me too. Come on—you can't tell me we haven't gotten closer over the past year. That's why I think you should move in with York. He loves you _so much_, Lina. More than you can probably even see."

"Then tell me the truth about one last thing."

Wash leaned back in the chair, avoiding her gaze. "Depends on what it is."

"Valentine's Day."

A nervous look passed over his face. "What about it? I didn't even see you."

"You talked to York."

"I don't remember."

"I heard everything, David."

He blinked and she noticed his eyes were filling with tears. "I don't remember," he repeated softly.

"You said you would make me forget about York if he ever hurt me."

"That doesn't sound like something I'd say."

"David, _please_, just tell me the truth." She was about to cry, watching his cracked façade starting to crumble under the weight of his emotions.

"I meant what I said," he whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear over the other patrons of the coffee shop.

"Then why do this? Why push me away now?"

"_Because I love you_." Wash reached up to rub his eyes quickly. "I never thought I'd have to act on that threat. I want you to be _happy_, Carolina. I can't be happy taking you away from one of my best friends. Not over something like this. Not when you obviously still _love_ _him_. Or is that not true anymore? Over the past five days, have you stopped loving York?"

Carolina shook her head. "No, I—of course not. I'm just angry. I…I still love him."

"Then _go_. Go find him and apologize. I'm not telling you to move in with him right away, maybe you can work something out. But don't shut him out, Lina."

"Stop that."

"Stop what, Lina?"

"_Calling me that_." She shook her head. "I can't—I can't handle that from you right now." She shoved her chair away from the table and stood up. "I'll take your advice. I'll go talk to York."

"Good."

She walked out of the coffee shop, leaving Wash alone at the table, sipping his coffee.


	12. Chapter 12

**Part 22**

Carolina knocked on the door to York's apartment, hoping he was there. He hadn't been at her—well, _their_ place, she mentally corrected herself, and North hadn't seen him.

The door cracked open and she saw half of York's face through the opening, hiding his scarred eye. "What?"

"Can I come in?"

"No."

"York, please." Carolina reached through the opening and touched his cheek lightly. "I come in peace. I just want to talk."

He muttered something and opened the door enough for her to squeeze in. The apartment was littered with half-packed boxes, and a pizza box was flipped open on the kitchen counter, revealing a half-eaten pizza.

"I came to apologize," Carolina said, leaning against the counter as York closed the pizza box and glared at her.

"Yeah, gonna need a _little_ more than that."

"Do you honestly not see _why_ I got so upset?" she asked, frowning.

"You got super pissed off that I was thinking about our future and tried to buy you a _house_, Lina. What's so bad about that?"

"The fact that you did it without even talking to me. Or asking me what _I_ want in my future. _Our_ future."

"I'm sorry," York said, moving over to the living room to sit on the couch. He shoved a box out of the way and made room for Carolina to sit next to him. She did, leaving space between them. "I tend to overthink things. I was just so excited when I saw that house, and started thinking about us living there, and I kind of did everything by myself."

"I get it." She reached over and took his hand. He winced, as though he had been expecting her to yell or hit him. "I'm honestly just upset the most that you didn't think to ask what I wanted in the relationship."

"Is this your way of breaking up with me?" York looked down at the carpet. "I don't think I can handle that right now. I'm pretty fragile."

She opened her mouth to contradict that statement, but saw that he was smiling. She felt herself smile and squeezed his hand. "I forget that you're fragile. You're practically a doll sometimes."

"A porcelain one, like the ones you probably used to have as a kid."

"Yes, just like those. I had one named Betty. I brushed her hair before bed every night."

"Can you brush _my_ hair?" York asked, turning to look at her. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, moving his other hand to wind itself into her hair. "I can't promise I'll sit still," he murmured against her lips as they kissed.

"Whatever you need, sweetie," she whispered back, pressing her body to his.

(b)

Carolina's birthday came and went without any fanfare, and she was grateful. North had baked a small cake and left it inside in their kitchen as a nice surprise, but she and York had celebrated alone that night. He'd finished moving in a few days before, and they hadn't talked about their fight since the night they made up. York hadn't brought up the house, but she heard him on the phone one morning talking to a realtor, trying to make sure his deposit would be refunded. She wanted to say something, offer to give it a chance, but knew that it would only make things worse.

"So, how's class been going?" York asked one morning, stuffing some scrambled eggs into his mouth. He was starting a new construction job that day as an overseer, since his ankle was still in a brace, but he needed money so he was willing to do whatever he could to help out.

Carolina shrugged. "It's fine. I sent out a few applications the other day. I probably won't hear until August or so, which sucks."

"That's a really long time." June had just started; the weather was at that perfect stage of 'warm, but not too hot' that Carolina loved. "Where did you apply?"

"Just a few schools around the area, and one in Seattle."

"Ah, okay."

She didn't want to tell York that she'd actually applied to Columbia, since that would probably just make him upset. It was such a long shot that she'd get in anyway, so she wasn't counting on anything. "Are you excited to start the job today?"

York nodded. "Chris has been telling me about how awesome the building is going to look. It's at the east end of the city, out in all those fields by the highway. It's a bank, I think, but the design is supposedly really unique."

"That's cool."

"Yeah, I guess. Hey, Lina, listen." He set down his fork and looked at her seriously. "Can we get past this super awkward phase where we pretend to listen to each other, but we're both secretly afraid of setting the other one off by saying something stupid relating to our fight?"

Carolina leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "Thank _god_ you said that. Yes, I would like that very much."

"You know I still love you, right? And I'm willing to do whatever you want to do, as long as we're together? And that I'm not mad about the house anymore?"

"I still love you too. And I want to be with you in the future, just in a place we _both_ decide on. And I'm not mad about it either. I appreciate the thought, just not the action."

"Then that's settled. We love each other and are staying together and we'll make sweet, sweet love tonight to celebrate when I get home from work. Acceptable?"

"Affirmative."

York stood up and walked over to her side of the table, leaning down to give her a passionate kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, working her tongue over his, making him groan and move his hands down her back.

"You're gonna be late," she whispered, licking his upper lip.

"I don't fucking _care_."

(b)

Carolina was _bored_.

York was gone on his fourth day of work, and the apartment was lonely without him. His stuff had finally been integrated with her own, and she'd spent the day vacuuming and cleaning, but had run out of things to clean. Nothing was on television, so she was surfing shopping sites on her laptop and trying to resist the urge to grab her wallet from the counter. She'd had the day off work due to the office being renovated and the carpets being replaced that day, so the urge to spend money she didn't have was growing with each bored minute.

Her phone beeped with a text around one in the afternoon, and she picked it up to see that it was Wash. They hadn't really talked since the day he told her to go find York, so they'd pretty much been avoiding each other for nearly three and a half weeks. He was asking if she could come by that night, and she replied saying she was free then if that was more convenient.

_Wash (1:04pm): I might have done something really stupid. Can you come by?_

She frowned and put the phone in her pocket, grabbing her keys. She locked the door behind her and went upstairs to his and North's apartment, and knocked on the door.

Wash opened it a second later and ushered her inside. He shut the door immediately and she opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but was interrupted by a timid, squeaky "_meowrrr?"_

"Oh my god, Wash, what did you _do_?"

"I was walking by the pet store on my lunch break, and I saw these little guys in the window and they were _so cute_ and this one started nuzzling me when I went inside and I couldn't say _no_!" He bent down and picked up a tiny orange and white-striped kitten, snuggling it carefully in his arms. "I got attached…"

"Does North know?" she asked, reaching out to pet it. It tilted its head into her hand and started purring loudly, closing its eyes.

"We just got home." He nodded towards the shopping bags on the kitchen counter, filled with food, cat toys, and a small book on cats. A large litter box was on the floor, ready to be set up. "I named him Epsilon, because the letter looks like a kitty face in a text message."

"North is going to freak out, Wash. I don't think he likes cats. Or dogs. Or _any_ animals."

"But he's so _cuuuuute_—" Wash snuggled his cheek against the top of the kitten's head. She could feel his breath on her hand and she smiled.

"He _is_ cute," she agreed, shaking her head. "When does North get home?"

"I think he's working late and was going to stay at Maine's tonight, so I have some time to think of a strategy to make him love little Epy _as much as _ _I do_," he said in a baby voice, snuggling the kitty. Carolina rolled her eyes.

"You better start thinking _now_."

"Can you help me set some of this stuff up?" Wash gestured to the litter box. "Or can you hold him while I do it?"

"Sure." She held out her arms and Wash looked down at the kitten, his eyes growing sad as he started to hand him over. "Or, I can work on getting everything set up," she added, watching him perk up at that.

"Okay!" He started directing her where to put the litter box and pulled out some jingling toys to put on the floor. She poured some litter into the plastic tray and set the half-empty box of gravel in the corner of the living room as Wash set Epsilon on the floor, watching him creep cautiously over to the wall to sniff at the carpet near the door.

"Where do you want the little bed?" she asked, pulling a soft fuzzy cat bed out of one of the bags. It was bright yellow and she laughed to herself.

"In my room." Wash pointed behind him towards the hallway and she nodded, heading over to his room. She pushed open the door and stepped inside.

For once in his life, apparently Wash had actually cleaned his room. She saw a few boxes scattered around, half-filled with random items and books haphazardly stacked inside like he'd started packing. She noticed a new bulletin board over his desk and went over to inspect it, tossing the cat bed onto the floor next to his bed.

The board was mostly covered in papers, including a fanned-out stack of concert tickets covering one corner. Various photographs were scattered across the papers, pinned through at the corners to avoid ruining them. There was one of him and Phyllis that she remembered using his camera to take at dinner when she visited, and quite a few of him, North, and York messing around at parties or bar gatherings. She noticed one that looked much more worn around the edges and leaned in to see it more clearly.

Two young boys were posing like superheroes for the camera, one of them laughing as the other tried to remain serious. Both were lightly blond and practically looked like brothers, until she realized one of them had Wash's trademark smile. Thinking for a second, she realized the other boy was North, and they couldn't have been more than ten years old. They were so adorable, she almost didn't notice the other picture right above it, but the familiar red hair caught her eye.

It was a picture of Carolina sitting at a table, likely in North's apartment as she could recognize the familiar kitchen backdrop. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and her arm was up near her face as she was adjusting it or brushing hair away, she couldn't remember. Judging by what she was wearing, it had been taken at Dakota's birthday party back in November. York and North were in the background, slightly out of focus, but she was laughing about something, whoever she was talking to.

She remembered Wash walking around and taking pictures, but hadn't realized she'd been in many of them since she'd showed up so late. Frowning, she stared at the picture for another minute before hearing a meow from the doorway. Whirling around, she found Epsilon staring at her, looking impossibly tiny in the shadow of the door.

"Aw, baby, are you exploring?" Carolina knelt down and scooped up the kitten, feeling her heart begin to melt as he purred in her hands.

"Lina, can you come out here for a sec?" Wash called from the living room. She carried the kitten into the room to find Wash leaning over the back of the couch, his ass sticking straight up.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

"I already lost Epy!" he cried out, struggling to get out from behind the couch. "He's so small!"

"Wash, turn around."

"But what if he—"

"Mew?"

"Epsilon!" Wash bounded over to them and grabbed the kitten, relieved. "I thought you ran away already!"

"He's gonna want to explore, you know," Carolina pointed out. "Maybe you should close some doors so he doesn't get into North's room or something."

"Yeah, good idea." Wash continued petting the kitten, oblivious to pretty much everything else.

"Anyway, I better go." Carolina cleared her throat awkwardly and he looked up.

"Oh, already? I thought you'd want to play with him."

"No, it's okay. I, uh…I still have some laundry to do."

"Laundry can wait! Stay a little longer, okay?"

Epsilon let out a quiet meow and she smiled. "Okay, if you're going to twist my arm I guess I can stay."

(b)

A few hours later Epsilon was finally curled up in the middle of the couch, fast asleep from too much excitement. Wash and Carolina were lying on the floor in front of the television, her head on his arm as they flipped channels.

"So how are you and York doing?" Wash asked, muting the television.

She smiled. "We're okay. We got past everything and I think we're gonna be fine."

"Good. That's…I'm glad to hear that."

They remained silent for a minute, listening to Epsilon occasionally wheeze from the couch.

"Wash—"

"Lina—"

They both chuckled. "You first," Carolina said, shaking her head.

"I just—I wanted to apologize for everything I said. That was entirely out of line, and inappropriate, and I shouldn't have said any of that."

"Don't be sorry. I'm glad you were honest, at least."

"No, I'm _not_ sorry." Wash sat up, reaching up to try to smooth his hair down. "I wanted to apologize, but I'm not _sorry_. I know that sounds terrible, but I'm not sorry I said any of it. I shouldn't have, but I'm glad I did."

Carolina sat up as well, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Okay." She didn't really know how to respond to such a statement.

Wash sighed. "God, I just keep fucking everything up, don't I?"

"No, you—well, yes, you do, but I get it. Feelings are hard to control."

"No, that's not it. I was able to control them for so long, it was just—when I saw you and York so close to actually _living together_, not just in the apartment downstairs, it triggered something. It kind of…brought up everything I pushed away last summer." Wash shrugged. "It's probably just an intense crush or something, to be honest. I mean, I _was_ dating Phyllis. Maybe I'm moving on."

"Yeah." Carolina stayed quiet, staring at the carpet. She didn't want to remind him of the earlier conversation they'd had. "Maybe you are."

"Anyway, I promise I'll stop bringing it up."

"It's okay. I'd rather you be honest with me instead of pining from afar, or something equally awkward."

Wash chuckled lightly. "I think we're fully entrenched in awkward, to be honest."

"I should probably go home," she said suddenly, realizing it was nearly five o'clock, thanks to the clock next to the television. "York should be home soon and we're going to try that new Italian place downtown for dinner."

"Oh, that sounds nice. Sorry for keeping you so late." Wash stood up and helped her to her feet, glancing back at Epsilon, who was still fast asleep.

"It's okay. Epsilon is adorable. I hope North doesn't kill you in your sleep."

"Yeah, me too."

Carolina grinned, reaching out to give Wash a hug. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, touching their cheeks together. "Are you _sure_ you and York are good?" he asked quietly.

"Wash!"

"Sorry, had to ask." He pulled back with a sheepish grin and she raised an eyebrow.

"_Sure_ you did."

He let her go and she left the apartment, quietly closing the door behind her.

**Part 23**

_North (7:12am): GET THE FUCK UPSTAIRS. RIGHT NOW. _

_Carolina (7:13am): Jesus fuck, I'm barely awake. Gimme a minute._

Carolina knocked on the upstairs apartment door and it swung open nearly immediately. North was on the other side, looking like he was two minutes away from murdering someone.

"_Did you know_?" he demanded.

"Know _what_? It's fucking early and I was about to shower. What the fuck is going on?" she asked.

"You_ know _what_._ The _cat_."

"Uh, depends on the specific knowledge you think I have."

"_When did it get here_?"

"Yesterday?"

"Are you _shitting me_?"

"Are you really _that upset_ about it? He's an adorable, fluffy little—"

"That's the _problem_—it's _fluffy_!" North was getting even redder in the face as time passed. "_Maine_ is _allergic _to_ cats_!"

As he said that, she heard sneezing coming from the couch. She peered around North and saw Maine lying down with a damp rag over his face. He sneezed a few more times and growled at nothing in particular.

"Uh…I'm sure Wash had no idea," she said, frowning. "Where is he now?"

"Quarantined in his room with that tiny little monster!" North said irritably. "Now I'm stuck with deciding whether to force Wash to give up the cat, kick him out of the apartment, or move in with Maine, which sucks because his apartment is too far from both of our jobs!"

Carolina winced. "Have you tried asking if he'd—"

"I already tried the first option, and he gave me those pleading eyes he's so good at, and I couldn't bring myself to follow through with the threat!" North stalked over to Maine and sat down on the edge of the table, shaking his head as Maine sneezed a few more times. "I don't know what to do."

Carolina thought for a moment, leaning against the kitchen counter. "He was talking about moving out anyway, right? Maybe now is the best time for that."

"It's going to be impossible for him to find a place on such short notice. Is there any way _you_ can take the fucking cat so we can clean the apartment and find a place for it to live?"

"_Him_, not _it_—"

"Oh don't _you_ even fucking _start with that_—"

"But yes, I don't think York will mind if we watch him for a little while. Wash can come visit whenever."

"If _I_ don't fucking _kill him_ first," Maine growled from the couch.

Carolina hurried down the hall to Wash's room and opened the door, slipping inside before Epsilon could escape. She found Wash lying on his bed, face buried in a pillow, as the kitten jumped onto everything he could reach, meowing pitifully to get Wash's attention.

"Not right now, North," he said, sounding more depressed than she'd heard in a long time. "I'm _brooding_."

"Brooding isn't a good color on you," Carolina said, sitting on the foot of the bed. Wash raised his head, startled.

"Lina? What are _you_ doing here?"

"Apparently running interference," she replied, shaking her head.

"I have to either get rid of the cat or move," he complained, looking like he was about to cry. "I don't know what to do."

"Weren't you trying to move out anyway?"

"Who told you that?"

"Uh…Maine, a long time ago. He said you'd been talking to North about finding your own place, but I guess that never went anywhere."

"Oh. Yeah. I don't know. I remember bringing that up, but North convinced me to stay, so I never actually looked for a place. But I guess he _would_ like to live alone with Maine. He practically lives here _anyway_." Wash looked down at the comforter, picking at a thread. "I don't know."

"Well, why don't I take Epsilon down to our apartment for a few days while you guys talk about it?" She looked over at the kitten, who was busy batting at dust bunnies near the windowsill. "He's too adorable for even York to turn down."

"Okay." He smiled up at her and she felt a little relieved. "I guess so. Let me get all his toys." He climbed off the bed and started gathering things into a duffel bag as she got up and walked over to the window, picking up Epsilon. He meowed loudly and started rubbing against her arm and she giggled.

"You might have a hard time getting him back," Carolina said with a grin, snuggling her cheek to the kitten's head. He meowed again and began to purr loudly.

"Don't even joke about that!"

"Aw, you've barely had him a day, you couldn't have gotten _that_ attached!"

"Well, I _did_, so you better give him back." Wash came over and scratched Epsilon behind the ears. "Come on, let's get him down to your place. Do you have to work today?"

"Yeah, in about an hour. Hopefully he can handle being alone. York's already gone and won't be back till late."

"He should be fine. We can shut him in the spare room for now, there's not much he can do in there." Wash opened the door and headed for the front room as she followed behind, the kitten snuggling against her chest.

"_Get that thing out of here_." Maine was standing in the kitchen, rewetting the towel to press against his face. North was standing behind him, rubbing his back. Maine's eyes were slightly swollen and his entire face was pink. He sneezed as he pointed at Wash, trying his best to appear threatening. "I _will_ kill you when I'm better," he snarled.

"Yeah, yeah, we're going." Wash opened the front door and ushered Carolina out, frowning as Epsilon meowed angrily. "I know, sweetie, we're going to a _safe place_ now, don't worry."

(b)

"Are you sure he's going to be okay all alone?" Wash asked, looking concerned again.

Epsilon was already busy trying to climb up on a chair in the second bedroom in Carolina's apartment, making adorable little huffing noises as he struggled. Carolina nodded and placed a hand on Wash's shoulder. "He's gonna be fine. Come on, I gotta get ready for work, and I bet you do too."

He checked his watch and frowned. "Shit, yeah, I'm already late. Thanks for taking Epy. I really appreciate it."

"Really, it's okay."

They left the room and shut the door, and as soon as Epsilon started meowing on the other side, Wash collapsed against the door, clutching his chest. "It's like leaving my _child_," he said bitterly. "Fucking North. Fucking _Maine_."

"Sweetie, you should have asked them first. I'm sorry. But you can come play with him whenever!"

"Yeah, I know."

"Come on, I'll walk you out."

They got to the front door and she'd leaned around him to open it when Wash grabbed her around the shoulders, hugging her tightly. "Thanks again," he murmured into her shoulder.

"Sure thing." She hugged him back and he pulled away, smiling at her.

"I really do appreciate everything you've had to do to put up with me," he continued, shrugging a little. "I know I've put you through a lot, and I feel bad."

"No, really, it's okay." Carolina nodded and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek, what she thought would be a friendly gesture.

Instead he turned his head just enough the wrong direction and his lips solidly met her own.

Instinctively she closed her eyes, just after he did the same, seconds before her brain fired up and started screaming at her. They both seemed to back away at the same time, their arms dropping to their sides as Wash started babbling an apology, he didn't mean to, it was an accident.

"I need to get ready," she said lamely, wanting to smack herself in the face.

She didn't hear what Wash mumbled as he practically ran out the door, slamming it behind himself. She wondered briefly if it was already too late to call into work by faking stomach cramps.


	13. Chapter 13

**Part 24**

"C'mere, you little fuzzy bastard! Come on! Over here, Epsilon! Look at what I have, look!"

York was laying stomach-down on the carpet, dangling a cat toy with a bell jingling at the end of it, trying to get the kitten's attention as it bounded around the living room, jumping at everything except whatever toy York was trying next.

Carolina laughed as Epsilon came dashing over to her, ducking between her legs to nip at the hem of her jeans. "Aww, he doesn't seem to like playing with you," she teased.

"I'll win him over, it's only been a week," York said in a determined voice, dangling the toy some more. The kitten pointedly ignored him and he frowned. "Come on, jerk, pay attention to me!"

"Give him a break." She reached down and picked him up, giggling as he nuzzled her hand. "At least he likes_ me_!"

"Stupid cat…"

Someone knocked on the door and York hollered out for them to come in. Wash stepped inside a second later, grinning.

"Can I play with my baby now?"

York rolled his eyes. "If he ever pays attention to me, I might just have to steal him away," he warned. "He's _super_ cute."

"I'm so glad _you_ guys like him." Wash came over and took Epsilon from Carolina, petting his head. "Aw, hi there baby, I missed you!" The kitten meowed in response and nibbled on his finger.

"Has North calmed down at all?" Carolina asked.

Wash shook his head. "He kind of did, but Maine is still super pissed off. I feel like North didn't used to be that mean; maybe Maine brings it out in him."

"I think it's more that he's super defensive of Maine because he loves him so much. North is just more…_intense_ these days," York chimed in. "He's still the same ol' Northy though."

"Where the _hell_ did that nickname come from?" Carolina asked suddenly. "He used it once and it was so _random_."

"Hell if I know—I picked it up from him in college. He used to use it on girls, though based on recent revelations, I bet he was purposely _trying_ to scare them off."

Wash laughed. "He used to be such a ladies' man in high school. I don't think he ever went a week without a girlfriend. He was always so sweet and caring; I used to tease him that he acted more like a brother or something. Which, again, I suppose makes sense…"

The three of them sat in silence for a minute, thinking about past interactions with North. Epsilon broke the silence with a sharp cry and Wash jumped.

"Oh, are you hungry, sweetie? Let's get you some food." He carried the kitten over to the food bowl in the kitchen and set him down, smiling as he began to nibble on some dry cat food. "I actually have some applications to fill out, so I won't stay long," he said.

"Applications for what?" York asked, pushing himself to his feet.

"Some teaching positions opened up at a couple of the elementary schools nearby, so I'm trying to see if I can get a part-time job at least." Wash grinned. "I'm so close to my dream of teaching kids. I really hope something works out."

"I'm sure it will," Carolina said with a smile.

"Thanks. So, anyway, thanks _so much_ for watching Epy. I really appreciate it."

"Really not a big deal. Kind of a trial run for possible future kids," York said, coming over to put an arm around Carolina's shoulders. She traded an awkward look with Wash as York leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

"Yeah," she echoed.

"I better run," Wash said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "I think North should be home by now, and I need to make sure he's less pissed off at me." He went to the doorway and grabbed the handle, pausing for a second. "Oh, I also checked online and found a couple possible neighborhoods to move to, and I'm gonna check them out this weekend. So hopefully you don't get stuck watching Epy for very long."

"Dude, take your time," York said, grinning as Epsilon rubbed his head against his foot. "He's seriously adorable."

"Thanks." Wash disappeared through the door and Carolina looked up at York.

"Kids, huh?"

He turned a slight shade of pink. "Well, someday, maybe," he mumbled.

"Yeah, that's a conversation for another day." She reached up and scratched his chin.

(b)

"Hey, I'm sorry I freaked out so much," North apologized over his beer. He propped his chin up on his palm, resting his elbow on the table. "Maine and I had just had a talk about him moving in soon, and then we come home to this damn furball and Maine started freaking out and breaking out in hives and I didn't know what to do, so I kind of panicked."

Carolina nodded. "Hey, I understand. How's Maine doing?"

"Well, he hasn't come over in a week, so that's _real_ awesome." North sighed. "I've had to go over to his place, because he refuses to come near the apartment, convinced that there's still cat fur or dander or whatever on the furniture. I tried to tell him that the cat never went near my room, even Wash swore to him he didn't, but he won't believe me."

"Does Maine really live that far away?" York asked.

"Yeah, like twenty miles north of our place. The gas alone is killing me; that's why he usually stays with me, because we both work relatively close to our building."

"How's Wash's apartment hunt going?"

"He really is trying, I'll give him that. He found a couple places he can afford, but it's really expensive to live anywhere near us, so he might have to move to one of the edges of the city, like where Maine is. I just don't really see another way around it."

Carolina sighed. "Can't Maine just take allergy medication or something?"

"If all it caused was sneezing, then yes. But didn't you see what that thing _did_ to him? He swells up, his throat nearly closed up, it's really bad."

York sipped his beer. "Damn, man, I'm sorry. I wish he could stay with us, but that's just weird. I mean, if I was single, sure, but not with the two of us both there. It's already a little cramped with all our stuff."

"You mean _your_ stuff," Carolina said, nudging him with her elbow. "_My_ stuff fit just _fine_ before you came along."

"Heh, whatever."

"It's okay, we'll figure it out." North frowned. "I feel like I've been ignoring Wash lately. Maybe I should take him out or something."

"You know what I haven't done in years? Had a day at the beach. I used to be super good at volleyball!" York leaned over and kissed Carolina's cheek. "We should all take a day off!"

"I think we're a little too old for that," North protested.

"That would be fun!" Carolina agreed, nodding at York. "I bet it would be good for everyone to have a day off together. Someone should go tell Wash."

North sighed, defeated. "I'll try to talk Maine into it. When do you want to go?"

"How about Friday? We can make it a long weekend, drive up the coast a bit."

"Fine, I'll try." North stood up, tossing a few bills on the table. "I'll talk to you guys later."

"Do you want me to go find Wash?" Carolina offered. "He's probably at our place with the cat."

York smiled. "I can go if you want—"

"Hey, York!"

They looked up to see his friend Chris waving at them from across the bar, standing near one of the pool tables. He was with a few friends and looked like they'd just started a game.

"Hey!" he called back, waving.

"Wanna join? We can play two on two!"

He grinned at Carolina, who rolled her eyes. "Go ahead," she said, laughing. "I'll go home and find Wash."

"Love you!" York kissed her and slid out of the booth, going over to the others. Carolina put a twenty on the table and grabbed her purse, heading outside to walk home.

(b)

"Wash? Are you here?"

Carolina pushed open the door to their apartment and tossed her keys on the counter. A quiet meow came from the floor and she looked down to see Epsilon looking up at her pitifully. A quick glance confirmed the food dish was empty and no one else was in the apartment.

"Aw, sweetie, you must be starving." She went over to the food dish and picked up the bag of cat food next to it, tipping it over to partially fill the bowl. Epsilon began to noisily eat and she walked over to the couch, sitting down heavily, exhausted.

A key rattled in the lock but she remained seated. Wash came inside a second later and stopped dead in his tracks, keys in hand, staring at her.

"I didn't think anyone would be home," he said quickly.

"I just got here," she replied, closing her eyes. "York's still at the bar with his friends. North went to find Maine."

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Hey, we're going to the beach on Friday, so get the day off work."

"Uh, okay." He went over and pet Epsilon as he was eating. "That's random."

"North feels bad for being so rude to you lately. It was York's idea."

"And you?"

Carolina opened her eyes, frowning. "What about me?"

"You think it's a good idea? A whole day, together?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Because of…" He gestured at her, and then himself.

"It was an _accident_, Wash."

"Oh."

"You said it yourself, when you left."

"Yeah."

Carolina sat up to see him more clearly. He was sitting on the floor, and the kitten had since moved on to his toys at the other end of the room. "I thought we'd talked about all this."

"We did. Sorry."

Clearly something else was still bothering him. "Wash, come on. Talk to me."

"I can't."

"Yes, you _can_. We've pretty much covered all the awkward bases here, man. If there's something you need to tell me, then just say it."

"I _can't_."

"Wash!"

"I can't _say_ it because it's not something I want to _say_, it's something I want to _do_."

She heaved a sigh, standing up to put her hands on her hips. "You seriously act like a child sometimes."

"Like _you're_ so much more mature."

"Oooh, Wash, throwing out some insults! _There_ we go, have a _backbone_ for once!"

"I _have_ a backbone," he threw back, standing up to mirror her stance. "Why do you always have to pick a _fight_ about everything?"

"Because _you_ never do! Look, I'm not mad—just _frustrated_, Wash. I feel like we keep talking ourselves in circles and nothing gets fixed."

"There's not exactly an _easy_ fix for our problem, Lina."

"Sure there is—we ignore it until it goes away."

"_Now_ who's acting like a child?!"

"What am I _supposed to do_?" she said, her voice dangerously close to shouting. "_I love York_! We live together, we're probably going to move away together and get married and have kids and we'll have to make sacrifices, but we're together and that's not going to change!"

Wash's expression changed from annoyance to confusion. "Move away together?" he repeated. "What are you talking about?"

"_I got into Columbia_!" she yelled, throwing her hands up in the air.

"…_What_?!"

"Yeah, I got accepted!" She was still yelling, but didn't try to control her voice. "I got accepted into an early round of admissions! I don't really know how, but I found out the other day and I haven't told York because he's going to want to move with me to New York but _I_ don't know if I _want_ him to!"

"Why wouldn't you want him to?!" Wash's voice was rising as well.

"Because I don't know if I can handle that sort of commitment! Because I don't know if I want to do this on my own or with someone, no matter _how much_ I love them! Because of—"

Wash closed the gap between them and caught her arms, holding her wrists. He was close enough that she could smell his aftershave. "Because of what?" he prompted.

"Nothing. Because of York."

"You love him."

"Of course I do."

"And he loves you."

"A lot, yes." She was much quieter; Wash's touch was comforting, familiar. "I know he does. All he talks about is the future."

"Your future?"

"_Our_ future."

Wash's left thumb began to stroke the inside of her wrist. "Do you like talking about the future with him? Does it make you happy?"

"You're trying to ask if I'm happy with him, like you_ always do_, and my answer is still yes. I just don't know if I've reconciled how I feel _now_ with what _I_ want in the future."

His hands slid up her forearms, coming to a stop on her shoulders. She'd never realized Wash was a couple inches taller than her; York was only an inch or two taller than _him_. "Lina, you're an adult. You need to start making decisions about what _you_ want, not to please others."

"Is that what you want me to do? Make decisions for myself?" she asked quietly, their eyes locked together.

"Among other things."

"Such as?"

Wash reached up with his right hand and hooked a finger under her chin, tilting her head up slightly. Closing the gap between them, he closed his eyes and brushed his lips against her cheek, his warm breath lingering on her skin. His left hand was hot against her back, practically burning through her shirt.

"Don't—"

"Just this," Wash whispered, kissing her lightly. She closed her eyes and leaned up into the kiss, her mind no longer protesting—it felt _nothing_ like the kiss on their date, ancient history by then. His lips were soft, working in movement with hers, and she pressed her hands on his waist, pulling him closer.

A soft moan escaped one of them as they held each other closely, neither hurrying the process but neither of them stopping it. His left hand moved from her lower back to her waist, looping his arm around her to pull her in, eliminating any possible space between them. Carolina finally broke the kiss, their noses pressed together, foreheads touching, both of them breathing heavily.

"I'm not sorry," Wash whispered, barely audible over the ringing in her ears.

Carolina moved one hand from his waist and reached up to press her palm against his cheek. "I can't do this," she whispered back, opening her eyes. She saw that his eyes were still closed but he was smiling; she could feel his breath hitch before he spoke again.

"I'm not asking," he said, his right hand, which was still under her chin, shifting to rest on her shoulder. His fingers began to play with the ends of her hair. "I'm trying to be a good guy here."

Her lips curled up into a smirk. "Really."

"Hey, I didn't say _perfect_."

He kissed her again and she squeaked in surprise as his tongue slid over her lower lip, gently pushing open her mouth to touch her own. He quickly took control of the kiss as his left hand slid underneath her shirt, his fingers running lightly over her skin. She shivered and did the same, touching the strong muscles that stretched across his back.

Wash kissed the side of her mouth and began to move his lips to her cheek, kissing his way down her neck. She let out an involuntary moan as he nipped at her collarbone, shoving her shirt collar out of the way.

"Wash—"

"Lina—"

She forced herself to pull away, and he raised his head to look at her, his eyes filled with concern and worry instead of the lust that had been there moments earlier. "I can't do this," she repeated.

"I don't want to stop," he whispered, kissing her lightly.

"But—"

"I can't _be_ this for you," he continued. "I can't be there for you when things are bad between you two. I can't be the support you need, not like _this_. I _love_ you, Carolina. And I don't understand why you can't love me_ back_."

She shook her head. "I love you as a _friend_, I can't—I'm with _York_, I _love_ him—"

"Yet you're in _my_ arms, telling_ me_ about Columbia, telling _me_ that you don't think you can move there with _him_? Do you even _realize_ what that _does_ to me?"

Carolina bit her lower lip, forcing back tears. "I never meant to hurt you."

"You're _not_ hurting me, Lina, because I'm doing this to myself, but don't you see? Don't you _see_ what you do to me? I can't even _look_ at other girls because I'm comparing them to _you_!"

"I never asked you to do that. I never _wanted_ you to do that! I want you to be happy!"

"I'm happy when I'm with _you_, even if I can't be _with_ you," Wash said, smiling sadly. "I'll walk away right now if you promise that we'll stay friends. I'll walk away and force myself to move on, knowing that I tried. If _this_ didn't work, then I don't know what will. And I'll accept that, someday."

"Of course we can stay—"

"_But_," he interrupted, "if you _ever_ let me believe there's a _chance_ you'll choose _me_ over _him_, I will stop being friends with him in an instant and run away with you."

She smiled. "I don't think you'd ever let your friendship go. That's an empty threat."

"It's really not. North would be one thing, I've known him pretty much my entire life. York? He can stay or go, doesn't really matter to me. Yes, I would prefer to stay friends with him, but—"

"Wash."

He stopped rambling and shrugged. "Fine, I'm not serious. I love him, he's one of my best friends."

"I know."

"I don't know why I thought you'd actually _choose_ me." Wash let go of her and quickly backed away, looking like he was about to be sick. "_Fuck_, I really fucked this all up. I need to go. Like, _right now_."

"Please don't go," she said, about to cry. "It's just as much my fault."

"It's really not. Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Act like this was your idea when we both know it wasn't." He grabbed the doorknob, pausing to look back at her. "Tell me one thing."

"Anything."

"If he was anyone else but York, would you love me back?"

She smiled. "You know I can't answer that."

"Yeah, I know." He opened the door and left, shutting it slowly behind him.

Carolina could feel her cheeks wet with tears, but didn't move to slow them. After a minute her phone buzzed from her pocket, and she pulled it out to check the text message she'd just received.

_Wash (10:32pm): See you Friday for the beach. :)_


	14. Chapter 14

**Part 25**

Carolina shoved her beach towel to the bottom of her duffel bag as York came into the room, already dressed in white swim trunks and a loose-fitting yellow t-shirt. "Almost ready, hon?" he asked, kissing her on the cheek.

She nodded, tossing in a bottle of sunscreen and a book before she zipped the bag shut. "Yeah, I think so. Are we coming back tonight, or are we doing a whole weekend?"

"I think it's just for the day. Maine apparently had plans for him and North for something on Sunday, so we're just going to the local beach instead of up the coast."

"Sounds good. Are we all carpooling?"

"You and I are in one car, and Wash is with North and Maine," he replied. "I tried to invite Dakota and CT, but they said 'it's too hot to go swimming,' which I quote verbatim. Seriously."

She rolled her eyes. "Good god. Okay, let's get going then, I want to get there before a zillion kids do."

"Let's go!" York grabbed her arm and they left the apartment, waving goodbye to Epsilon, who mewed sadly from the couch.

(b)

"Okay, North said they'd be near the south end of the—oh, there they are!" York waved at North and Maine as they trudged across the sand, Carolina bitching that it was, indeed, too hot outside.

"Hey!" North greeted, coming over to hug Carolina after she set down her bag in the sand. "Glad we got here before it got too crowded."

A few families and groups of friends were scattered across the sand, but it wasn't as bad as if they'd come on a weekend. Carolina unrolled her beach towel and flattened it on the ground, glancing up at Maine, who was helping set up a cooler with canned beer and soda in it.

"Why aren't you in a swimsuit?" she asked, gesturing at his jeans and t-shirt.

"I don't swim," he replied, grabbing a beer from the cooler.

North rolled his eyes. "I already tried," he said. "Maine is impossible to convince to do anything he doesn't want to do."

"Aw, I was hoping we could play a friendly game of volleyball," York said, striking a cocky pose in front of Maine. "Guess you're too scared then?"

"Not of _you_," Maine replied, looking him over.

"Oh, is that how it's gonna be?" York pulled off his shirt and tossed it on the ground, flexing his arms. Carolina stared appreciatively, as he was tanned from working outdoors so much. "You wanna go, tough guy?"

"I feel like I'm in an Archie comic," North chuckled. "Have fun, you two. I need to tan a little."

"Yeah, me too." Carolina pulled off her tank top and stepped out of her shorts, tucking them into her bag. She was already wearing her favorite turquoise bikini and felt self-conscious, especially when she saw that both York and Maine were staring at her.

"Wow," York said, shaking his head. "Uh, I guess I haven't seen you in a swimsuit yet. I really regret my life decisions up to this point."

She blushed. "It's nothing special," she mumbled, raising an eyebrow at Maine. "Why are _you_ looking?" she asked.

"I still appreciate the female form," he replied, smiling a little. "Great color on you."

"Thanks." _Now_ she was embarrassed.

"Go on," North urged, sitting down on his own blanket. "Go beat each other up on the court over there." He waved towards a still-empty net about thirty feet away further up the beach, an abandoned volleyball half-buried in the sand. Maine and York glared at each other and trudged off.

Carolina sat down next to North and he handed her a soda, grabbing one for himself. North was wearing a pair of bright purple swim trunks with green edging, and they suited him perfectly. She also noticed he was much more muscled than she'd assumed, but knowing who she hung out with, she wasn't surprised.

"How are you?" North asked, lying on his back on the towel. He took off his sunglasses and closed his eyes, putting his hands behind his head to enjoy the warm sunshine.

"Good, you?"

"Pretty good." He tilted his head towards her, keeping his eyes shut. "Wash found an apartment, so he's going to move in a few weeks."

"Oh."He hadn't mentioned that to _her_. "That's great!"

"Yeah, tell me about it. I'm going to ask Maine to officially move in with me sometime today. I figured I'd let him try to make things better between him and Wash first."

"Speaking of, where _is_ he?"

"Wash? He's over getting more ice from the shop up the road. We didn't have enough at home. He should be here soon."

"Oh, okay."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to people around them play in the ocean. "Can I talk to you about something?" North finally asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Of course!"

"Have I been different since I've been with Maine?"

The question caught her off-guard; she'd assumed he'd guessed something was up between her and Wash, but was relieved. "I don't know. What do you mean?"

"I mean, I know I've been really irritable lately, and it's not just because of that cat. I feel like I've been ruder to everyone, not acting like myself. Is that true?"

She shrugged, debating how to answer. "Well, it's true you haven't been acting like yourself. But people get like that in new relationships, you know? You change because of the other person."

"But I don't want to change, at least not like _this._"

"You should talk to Maine about it."

"He's the one that brought it up in the first place." North leaned his head back, staring up at the sky. "He said I need to stop taking my friends for granted and be nicer to them. He thinks you all hate him because _he's_ changed me."

"No, of course not! Personally, I think you two are great together." Carolina reached over and pat his arm. "We're not going to stop being your friends or anything. Just…try to be more like your old self, you know? Charming and laid-back."

"Charming, huh?" He chuckled. "What makes you say I'm charming?"

"This coming from the guy who called himself 'cute' in front of me the first time we met? Please, North. You're adorable and everyone knows it."

"This _is_ true. Thanks, Lina."

"Anytime."

"Hey guys!"

They looked over to see Wash trudging through the sand, carrying two medium-sized bags of crushed ice. He was wearing a pair of gray swim trunks with yellow piping down the sides and she smiled, realizing the color matched the flecks of gray in his eyes.

"Took you long enough," North said, eyeing the ice. "Only two bags?"

"Dude, the cooler isn't that large."

"That's not what your dad said last night—"

"_Christ_," Wash said, tossing one of the bags at North. He caught it with a grin. "And I thought the 'your mom' jokes were bad. That's taking 'ick' to a _whole_ new level, North."

"Besides, that one doesn't even make sense," Carolina added.

"You guys suck."

"Like I bet _Maine_ did last night, ohhh!" Wash leaned down and hi-fived Carolina. They burst out laughing as North turned bright red, putting his sunglasses back on.

"You two aren't fucking funny," he said, lying down again.

"Oh, I think we are."

York jogged over, already sweating, and pushed his hair out of his face as he grabbed a beer out of the cooler. "Why didn't you warn me that Maine is, like, a volleyball _god_?" he complained, chugging the beer as North laughed.

"Because I thought it'd be more fun to see him crush you."

"Are you watching? Because that's what's _happening_. I haven't scored a goddamned single point on him _yet_!"

"Aw, keep trying, maybe he'll let you win one."

"Fuck that, I'm gonna destroy him. C'mon, babe, come with me. You can distract Maine with your hotness."

Carolina grinned. "Won't I just distract _you_?" she teased.

"Well, of course, but hopefully less than him!"

She stood up and grabbed the suntan lotion out of her bag, nodding at him. "Go ahead, I'll be over in a minute."

"Sweet!" York kissed her and ran back towards the volleyball pit, yelling something at Maine, who was standing at the net with a satisfied look on his face. She could practically feel the smugness wafting their direction and chuckled as she spread some lotion on her arms and legs, massaging her neck with the cool liquid.

"You, uh…you look great," Wash said quietly, standing next to her. He said it so softly she barely heard him, and noticed North craning his neck to look at them, raising an eyebrow.

"Thanks," she said with a smile.

"Good color."

"Thanks…again."

"Do you think you two could move your _unbearable_ sexual tension away? You're blocking my rays."

"Shut up," Wash growled, stalking off towards the ocean. Carolina tossed her lotion back in her duffel and jogged over to the volleyball court, waving at York and Maine. North frowned and adjusted his sunglasses, lying back down to enjoy the sun.

(b)

"I_ concede_."

York was lying on the sand, breathing heavily, sweating up a storm. Maine was leaning on one of the poles holding up the net, bouncing the volleyball from hand to hand. He was drenched in sweat and had taken his shirt off sometime between the fifth and ninth humiliating, crushing defeat of York. A small group of girls was gathered to one side of the court, giggling to themselves as they waited for the two hot guys to start playing again.

"That's what happens when you challenge me to sports," Maine said, in a tone of voice that had what Carolina would _swear_ was a hint of bragging. "We could have a rematch in something a little less strenuous, if you'd like."

"_Fuck. You_."

"You're no fun."

"I fucking_…hate _you_._"

"Come on guys, I think it's time to break for lunch." Carolina retreated over to the blankets where North and Wash had started pulling sandwiches out of another cooler that North must have been keeping in the car.

"Hungry?" North asked, offering her half a turkey sub.

"Very," she replied, taking it with a smile. "Watching Maine beat the crap out of York is strangely exhilarating."

"I can see the appeal," Wash said, handing her a beer. She laughed and popped it open. "It _is_ nice to see him lose at _something_. He always gets everything handed to him."

"Hey, if it bothers you so much, stop giving things to him," North said, picking up another sandwich to unwrap.

"What do you mean?"

North opened his mouth to reply but instead took a bite of the sandwich as York and Maine approached. "I fucking hate your boyfriend," York growled, sitting down next to Carolina. She handed him her sandwich and he took it gratefully, ripping off a large chunk with his teeth.

"Hey, you sort of held your own," Maine said, sitting next to North. North grinned and leaned over to kiss him.

"Proud of you, babe."

"Thanks, babe."

They kissed again and Carolina glanced over at the group of girls that had sort of migrated to a nearby spot, keeping an eye on York and Maine. She watched as two of them snickered as Maine and North made out, a few of the others still watching York and now Wash with renewed interest.

"I think I liked you better when you were practically mute," York grumbled.

"I think I liked _you_ better when—no, wait, I _still_ don't like you."

"Cockbite."

"Fucktard."

"Bitch."

"Come on, at least be creative."

"Aw, they're friends now," North laughed. He and Carolina looked at each other and made puppy dog eyes as York choked on a piece of the bread he'd been inhaling.

"We're _not friends_!"

Maine shrugged. "Don't want to be friends with someone who sucks that much at volleyball anyway," he said quietly, nuzzling North's cheek. York's face started getting even redder and he focused on his sandwich intently, staying quiet.

"I'm gonna go swim a bit," Wash announced, standing up. "It's too hot outside and your arguing is giving me a headache."

York stood up and brushed off his shorts, looking down at Carolina. "I could use a break too. Wanna come?" he asked, handing her the rest of his sandwich.

She shook her head. "Not right now. Go ahead."

He nodded and he and Wash took off for the ocean. Maine stood up a minute later and left to find a restroom, leaving her and North alone to eat.

"So what's going on with you and Wash?" North asked, lifting his sunglasses to rest on the top of his head.

"Nothing."

"Come on, don't lie to me. I figured out you and York, I can figure out Wash more easily if given the time. He's so terrible at lying."

"Not as terrible as you'd think," Carolina said quietly.

"What?"

"Nothing," she repeated.

"Did he finally admit his feelings for you or something?"

She coughed, caught off-guard. "What are you talking about?!"

"I guess that means yes. When did he tell you?"

Her cheeks were burning. "How long have you known?"

"Lina, I've known how he feels about you since the night he came home from your date, okay? Don't even start trying to play coy with me."

"Then tell me what to _do_," she said, close to tears.

"What happened?"

She filled him in on the past couple of months, including their make out session a few days earlier. North listened quietly as she talked, occasionally stopping to cry from frustration. Finally she concluded with, "I don't know what to do. I still haven't told York about Columbia."

"How long do you have until you have to accept or decline the offer?"

"Until the end of July, so another month or so."

"That should be enough time to talk to both of them."

"I can't talk to York, because I know he's going to want to move _with _me and I still don't know if I want him there."

"What about Wash? What if _he_ moved out there with you?"

She shook her head. "No, I mean, I kind of want to do this on my own, you know? Finally going back to school, and grad school is really intense, and living in a new city—it's all really exciting, and I don't think I want someone there with me."

"Someone holding you back, you mean."

Carolina blinked, frowning. His tone was supportive, but… "Is that what it sounds like I'm saying?"

"Well, yes, but it's not a _bad_ thing." North smiled and took her hand in his. "Sweetie, I'm going to support you no matter what. I've always wanted to see New York, and it'd be a great excuse for a vacation with Maine. But I don't want you to feel bad about wanting to do this on your own. Trust me. That's a huge step right there, admitting that you don't _need_ someone in your life to be happy."

"But York will never understand. Neither will Wash."

"They're adults. They'll _learn_ how to understand. But they can't move on in _their_ lives until _you_ decide what you want to do. Do you realize that?"

Carolina nodded. "I do. I'm sorry for dragging you into all this."

North waved his other hand dismissively. "I always get into everyone else's drama. It's kind of second nature to me now. Tell me, though, how do you _really_ feel about Wash?"

She stared at the towel she was sitting on, picking at a loose fiber. "He's really sweet, and nice, and of course I'm attracted to him. But he's still sort of…irresponsible, you know? It's hard to explain."

"Is it irresponsible like he isn't reliable when it comes to physical things, like bills, or emotional things, because he kissed you when he knows you love York?"

"Yeah, the second one."

North nodded. "If it helps, you're the first girl he's ever acted like this about."

"It really doesn't. That means there's no precedence for you to tell me about."

"Point." North smiled at her. "Lina, it's okay that two guys love you. You just have to decide which one, if either, you want."

"I don't know if I can _do_ that."

"Well, it's time to grow the fuck up and try."

"Gee, thanks, North."

"Anytime."

(b)

**Part 26**

Wash hoisted a box up into the moving van, wiping his forehead on his sleeve. There were _way_ too many boxes to move. He didn't think he had that much stuff in the first place, but apparently he'd been wrong. Besides, June was a terrible month to move during; it was way too hot outside.

"How's it going?" York asked, popping his head into the back of the van.

Wash sighed. "Fucking exhausting," he replied. "You gonna help me move my bed in a minute?"

"Is that all that's left?"

"Yeah, should be."

"Then yes, glad to help." He grinned.

"You know, if you'd been helping me, we could have been done already."

"Dude, I move stuff around for a living, I ain't moving crap on my day off unless you really need my help."

Wash shook his head. "God, you're so lazy."

"Shut up and let's go get your bed."

Wash had finally found an affordable apartment across town, and North had agreed to loan him the money for the deposit and first month's rent so he could move out immediately without depleting his savings. North and Maine had sat down with him over dinner the day he'd decided on the place and talked everything out, making sure there were no hurt feelings in the process.

They got upstairs to find Carolina and North sitting in the mostly-empty living room, leaning against each other's' backs for support as they used the internet on their phones, comparing reviews for movies at the theaters that weekend. North was giving him the couch and dining room table set, since Maine had a newer couch and his own table to bring over.

"What about that new romantic comedy?" Carolina asked.

North shook his head. "I've got to see that one with CT, we already planned on it when we saw the trailer. The new action movie?"

"Meh, that looks really dumb."

"That animated one with the squirrel?"

"Maybe."

"You guys gonna help us with the bed or talk movies all day?" York asked, gesturing towards the bedroom.

"Ugh, fine," North said, standing up. Carolina wobbled as she fell off balance, straightening a second later.

"I don't wanna," she whined, pouting. "I'm tired."

"It's okay, we just have the bed left," Wash said. "We can handle it."

York grumbled and walked into the bedroom after North. Wash smiled down at her. "You doing okay?" she asked, standing up.

He nodded. Surprisingly, he was fine. "Yeah. I mean, I hate moving, but I'm glad North and Maine can live here, and now I can actually take Epsilon home with me. I hope he likes the new place, it's a little small."

"He'll get over it." Carolina shuffled her feet, avoiding meeting his eyes.

"Yeah. Well, I better go help."

"Yeah."

He left her in the living room, his chest hurting a little. _How stupid. It's not like she's literally breaking my heart,_ he thought, going into the bedroom. He grabbed a side of the bed and helped lift it off the frame, walking it out the door with the others. _I'm just moving across town. We're still friends._

"Dude!"

Wash started, knocking his back against the wall he'd been heading towards. He shook his head, catching York's glare. "Sorry," he apologized.

"Pay attention, man. You _want_ North to lose the security deposit?"

"_Sorry_," he repeated, getting a better grip on the mattress as they continued.

_At least I might still have a chance_.

(b)

**Part 27**

"Can we just _ban_ July from even _existing_?"

"No, because then we wouldn't have Independence Day or these swelteringly hot days to complain about."

"Fuck _that_, I'll do fireworks in August or something."

"It's not _that_ bad. At least we have air conditioning."

York sat up, grumbling. "I need some water. Want anything?"

Carolina shook her head. "I'm good." He grumbled some more and pushed himself off the bed, heading for the kitchen. Deciding that there was never going to be a better time to talk to him about Columbia, she rolled off the bed and followed him into the kitchen to find him filling a glass with ice.

"York, can I talk to you about something?"

"'Course, babe. What's up?"

"Well, it's something you should sit down for."

He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and picked up his glass from the counter. "Is something wrong?"

"Not…_wrong_, really, but…can we just sit down?"

He looked worried as he followed her over to the couch, setting the glass and bottle on the table. "You're really freaking me out, Lina. What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath, reaching over to take his hands in hers. He laced their fingers together. "It's about grad school," she started, and he smiled, visibly relaxing.

"Oh god, I thought you were going to say you were pregnant!" York laughed, shaking his head a little.

"Just listen to me. I…I got accepted into Columbia."

The smile was gone as quickly as it had appeared. "You didn't say you applied there," he said, stiffening his back. She could feel him tighten his grip on her hands.

"Yeah, because I wasn't sure I'd even have a shot. I guess I did, because they accepted me for early admission."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that I can start classes this semester. It means that I'd have to move there soon."

"_Move_. To New York." York's voice sounded hollow.

"Yes."

"Across the country."

"That's where it's located."

"I don't…I mean…I don't really know what to say," he stuttered, removing one of his hands from her own to reach up and idly scratch the scar over his eye. "Are you gonna say yes?"

"I already did."

"Wow. Okay."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, until York let out a deep breath. "Okay. Well, I guess it's good I've put money back into savings. That should be enough to put down a deposit on a place, and probably pay for a couple months' rent. Don't they pay _you_ in grad school? I bet that's not much, though. I'll just have to get a job pretty quick."

"York—"

"This is going to be good." He finally smiled, timidly, and looked at her. "We can make this work. Are you excited?"

Carolina could sense the tears before she actually felt them hit her cheeks. She watched York's face change from tepid excitement to a mix of confusion and panic as he went blurry. The tears came faster than she expected and she dissolved into sobs, wanting to kick herself for losing control.

"Oh god, Carolina, what the fuck is _wrong_?" His voice was filled with worry and he reached out, hugging her to himself. "Jesus, Lina, we don't have to move! You can say tell them you changed your mind!"

"No, I _want_ to go," she managed to say, burying her face against his chest. She sniffed and tried to push herself away to look him in the face, but he held on tighter. "I really do."

"Then why are you crying?!"

"Because I want to do this on my own!" she cried out, nearly hysterical.

York's warm embrace immediately felt ice-cold and he stopped stroking her head, his hand frozen in place at the base of her neck. "What are you saying?"

"I think…no, I _know_ I want to do this on my own. I love you so much, York, but—I feel like this is something I _need_ to do. To experience this on my own."

"Yeah. Okay." He let go of her, his hands dropping to his sides. "Yeah. I get it. Okay."

"York—"

"_No_." He shook his head, looking away from her. "I get it. You're independent, Carolina. I should have—no, I _did_ see this coming. Since before Valentine's Day, even. You're afraid to let people in. You keep everything at a distance."

"I never kept anything from you, York! I love you, I really, really do, so much, you don't know—"

"Oh, I know. No, I'm not saying you don't. Far from it." He reached up to wipe his face on his sleeve, and she could feel her heart breaking. "I love you more than you know, babe. I'll get you to change your mind."

"York…"

"_Please_, give me that." His voice cracked and she could feel herself getting short of breath as she rubbed her eyes, the tears still coming. "Give me something to hold onto. That's all I ask."

"Okay." Her voice was quiet, small.

Suddenly York turned and knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his. Tears were streaming down his face and he looked like he'd been punched in the stomach. "Carolina, you're the most amazing person I've ever known, and you've changed me so much, in so many great ways. I'll never be the same person without you. I want you to know how much I love you. I'll give up everything to make you happy. I'll do anything; just tell me that we can be together."

Carolina leaned forward, touching their foreheads together. "I love you too," she said through tears, feeling them drip down onto her hands to mix with his own.

"Then let's do this together. _Please_. Let me do this _with you_. _Together_."

She hiccupped as she shook her head slightly, feeling his body trembling. "I can't," she sobbed, squeezing his hands.

"Lina—"

He tilted his head down to kiss her, pressing his lips against the tear tracks on her cheeks, her forehead, her temples, her nose, finally her lips, kissing her harder and more passionately than ever. It was as though he thought he could change her mind with just one kiss, one amazing gesture from the bottom of his heart, and she let him try, knowing deep down that her mind was made up and there was no going back.

They broke the kiss and sat there staring at each other, both ignoring the tears in the others' eyes, holding their hands together tightly. Her knuckles were probably white, but she refused to look away from his face. Finally York looked down and eased up on the grip on her hands, shaking his head.

"Something to hold onto," he said quietly. Carolina nodded and broke down into fresh sobs, covering her face with her hands as York stared off into the distance, his knee still touching her leg.


	15. Chapter 15

**Part 28**

"How's apartment hunting going?"

"I have a few interviews set up for when I go out there next weekend. I hope one of them pans out."

"Have I told you yet that I'm worried about all this?"

Carolina sighed, setting down her cup of tea. "Dakota, I really appreciate it, but seriously—not _everyone_ on Craigslist is a creep."

Dakota flipped her hair over her shoulder and sighed. "You just hear horror stories, you know? Who are you meeting?"

"A girl with a spare room, another girl who's trying to fill the rest of her own lease so _she_ can move, and a couple guys who had someone bail on them so it's a last-second rental." She took a bite of her cookie and chewed. "I'm hoping one of the girls pans out, because I don't know how weird it would be to live with two guys I don't know."

"So how's York taking all this?"

She bit the inside of her cheek, forcing back tears. "He's…okay. We're kind of ignoring the whole situation. He knows I'm flying out next Friday for apartments and meeting with my advisor, but other than that, it's like he still thinks he's coming with me. I don't really know what to do."

"Hmm." Dakota leaned forward, putting her chin in her hands. "And, I'm sorry, but _why_ don't you want him to come with you?"

"It's just…I want to do this on my own. I don't really expect anyone to understand."

"You've got a guy who's willing to drop _everything_ and move _across the country_ for you, but you turn him down. I'm sorry, that just doesn't make _sense_."

"Do you remember when we went to college, and you were dating that kid—what was his name, Rick or something?"

"Ahhh, yes, I remember him." Dakota scrunched up her nose. "Ugh, he was such a creeper. We dated for what, three months? And he secretly applied to the same college just to be near me? I had to end _that_ quickly—oh." She frowned. "Oh, okay."

"Well, it's not exactly the same, but yeah. You wanted to go to college and do your own thing and live your life, right? That's what _I'm_ trying to do, just on a larger scale, because I actually _do_ love York."

"Okay, fine, I think I get it." Dakota heaved a sigh and stood up, grabbing her cup of tea. "I need a refill. Want anything?"

Carolina shook her head and watched Dakota skip over to the counter to flirt with the cute barista. Her phone vibrated and she pulled it out of her pocket, checking the screen.

_York (2:15pm): Dinner tonight?_

She replied with a 'sure' and put the phone away as Dakota came back with a full mug of tea and a plate with a slice of chocolate cake on it. Carolina rolled her eyes as Dakota just grinned, stabbing at the cake with a fork.

(b)

Having spent the day with Dakota shopping and otherwise catching up since it had been forever since they'd hung out, Carolina got home around 7pm after texting York that she would be a little late. She opened the door to the apartment and tossed her keys and purse on the table by the door, glancing around.

The lights were all off and the drapes were shut in an attempt to block out the late-setting summer sunlight. The few boxes that had been packed were shoved to the side of the apartment and four large candles were in the middle of the dining room table, flickering with orange and yellow flame.

"York?" she called out.

"Good evening," someone said, and she spun around to see North standing in the kitchen with an amused look on his face, wearing a dark blue suit. He extended a hand to take her by the elbow, guiding her over to the table. He pulled out a chair and helped her sit down, ignoring the confused look she shot him.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Your date will be here momentarily," he replied, winking at her. Before she could ask him to explain, he walked back into the kitchen to fiddle with the oven before sitting down on a chair next to the fridge, pulling out his phone to text someone.

"North—"

"Hey, babe."

She looked to her other side to see York standing beside her. He was wearing a fitted black suit with a skinny goldenrod tie, his hair expertly mussed. He was grinning and she could swear the scar over his eye seemed a little more faded that evening, but it was probably just a trick of the candle light.

"York? What's going on? I thought—"

"I know, I didn't warn you that dinner was going to be fancy, but I thought we should have one nice evening together before next weekend." His smile lessened only slightly. "I asked North to make us his famous lasagna as a surprise."

"Oh—okay. Uh, thanks," she said in the direction of the kitchen. North said something but she didn't pay attention as York knelt down in front of her, taking her hands in his.

"So, I know we've talked a lot about what's going to happen, and we agreed that you were going to leave while I stayed here," he started, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. "I've been giving it a lot of thought, and made a few decisions of my own."

"Okay." Carolina squeezed his hands, waiting to see what he had to say.

"I've decided that this isn't something that I'm going to accept." He looked up at her and reached up with his right hand, stroking her cheek. "Carolina, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, whether or not you'll let me. I know you've got this plan that doesn't involve me, at least right now, but I want you to know that I'm always going to be here for you."

"York…" She wanted to cry, but was too focused on his hand moving away from her face to reach into his jacket pocket, pulling out a small box.

"Lina, I love you more than you know," York continued, popping open the box to reveal a silver band with a small diamond centered on it, with miniature turquoise stones set on either side. He held the box a little closer, still holding her hand with his other hand. "Would you be willing to adapt your plans to include marrying me, babe?"

_There it was._ The one thing she'd been dreading since she broke the news to York weeks earlier. She smiled and reached up to close the box carefully, watching his face fall.

"I can't," Carolina whispered, realizing for the first time that she was positive she'd made the right decision. She could feel it in her chest, the crushing doubt and uncertainty finally displaced by acceptance. "I love you, York, but I can't. I'm so sorry."

Clearly that hadn't been the answer he'd been expecting.

"Wow, you just don't hold back." York rocked back on his heels, tucking the box back into his jacket.

"York, please—"

"We should probably eat!" He stood up and clapped his hands together, looking over at the kitchen. She glanced over to see North leaning on the counter, looking like he'd just witnessed his parents having sex, or seen twenty people die in a building fire, or something equally horrifying.

"Uh, yeah," North stuttered, grabbing an oven mitt. "Food should be ready now." He busied himself in the kitchen as York headed for the bedroom, tossing his jacket onto the floor near the hallway.

"I'll be right back," he called out, shutting the door behind him. Carolina looked down at her hands in her lap, unable to imagine just how awkward the rest of the evening was going to be. A moment later she felt strong arms wrap around her shoulders. North gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, squeezing her tightly.

"It's gonna be okay," he whispered. She nodded, finally feeling the tears start to gather at the corners of her eyes.

**Part 29**

Carolina trudged off the plane after the horrifically long, delayed 6 hour flight, feeling like a zombie. She just wanted to get to baggage claim and get to her hotel, but apparently the large family of hyperactive children had other plans, zigzagging around her and blocking every attempt she made to move around them.

Finally half an hour later she was sitting in a taxi, slowly inching her way through rush-hour traffic towards her hotel located about twenty miles from LaGuardia Airport. It was near a coffee shop that she'd agreed to meet the potential roommates at, and was likely going to be late at this rate to meet the first girl, the one needing to fill the rest of her lease.

(b)

"Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me," Carolina grumbled, checking her texts as she walked into the coffee shop, freshly showered and changed. Her inbox had a message from the girl saying she already found someone, and therefore wasn't going to show. Seconds later the phone started ringing and she answered it. "Hello?"

"Is this Carolina?"

"Yeah, who's this?"

"This is Ashley, I'm supposed to meet you later about filling the vacant room?"

"Oh! Yeah, actually, I'm already here if you want to come by now—"

"Uh, well, sorry about this, but apparently my boyfriend wants to move in, and you know, I've been trying to get him to commit for months now, so I'm gonna have him move in instead. Hope you understand!"

Carolina sat down at a vacant table and dropped her head to the tabletop. "Yeah, that's cool," she muttered. "Have a nice day."

"You too, sweetie! Sorry about all this!"

"It's fine." She hung up the phone and tossed it on the counter, groaning.

"Can I get you some coffee or anything?" someone asked. Carolina looked up to see a young woman in an apron standing next to her, order pad ready.

"Oh, just a regular coffee, thanks."

"Be right back!" The girl skipped away and went behind the counter. It wasn't very busy, the place filled with what were probably regular customers, chatting over laptop screens and various pastries with their drinks.

"Hey there."

She jumped as a man sat down at the table next to hers, grinning at her. "Can I help you?"

"Just noticed you looked upset. Anything I can help with?"

It wasn't that he was creepy, he was just…awkward. His shaggy brown hair was a mess and he had olive-colored skin; she couldn't decide if he was just very tan or possibly from someplace like Hawaii. He had a bit of padding around his waist underneath his orange t-shirt and jeans, and at least four days' worth of stubble around his jaw. At least he _seemed_ friendly, and not like he was about to stab her for her wallet.

"No, I'm—I'm fine," Carolina replied, smiling back at him. "Just having a long day."

"Yeah, been there."

The girl came by with her coffee and set it down in front of her with a flourish. She picked it up and sipped it as the guy ran a hand through his hair, leaning on his elbow on the table.

"Do you have more questions for me?" she asked, glancing at him awkwardly.

"Oh, no, sorry. I'm just waiting for a friend, so I thought I'd come say hi. Can't turn down a chance to talk to such a pretty lady."

Carolina resisted rolling her eyes. "Well, thank you, but I would kind of like some time to myself if that's all right."

"Oh, sure, sorry." He stood up and gave her a little wave. "I'll be over there if you change your mind," he said, pointing across the room to an empty booth.

"Will do, thanks."

He walked off and she put her head down on the table again, staring at the scratches on the tabletop.

(b)

_"York, come on, I'm gonna be late for my flight."_

_"Mrrmph."_

_"Look, it's not my fault you stayed out drinking until three in the morning, but I would really like a proper goodbye."_

_York rolled over onto his side from his stomach, looking up at her through bloodshot eyes. "You should go then," he mumbled, reaching up to wipe the drool away from his mouth._

_Carolina sighed. "Fine. I'll call you when I land, okay?"_

_"Sounds good." He closed his eyes and rolled back over. "Love you."_

_"You too."_

_ (b)_

Carolina lifted her head from the table and pulled out her phone, texting York that she was waiting to hear from the other people to meet about a room. She'd already sent an email to the guy that she'd been in contact with, but he hadn't replied yet. Not that she was expecting him to on such short notice, but she didn't want to go all the way back to her hotel and have to just leave again if he wrote back. With a quick glance she confirmed the guy that had been hitting on her was still at the other end of the shop, surfing the web on his phone as he sipped a latte.

Her phone rang and she answered quickly, hating sitting alone. "Hello?"

"Hey, how was the flight?" Wash's voice was like an instant reprieve from the loneliness that was creeping in at the back of her mind.

"Good. Well, not really, because it was delayed and there was a screaming baby four rows back, but other than that it was good. I guess."

"Everything okay? You sound upset."

"Both girls already bailed on me and filled their rooms. I'm still waiting to hear from the guys to see if they can meet me earlier than planned. Just sitting here at the coffee shop getting hit on in the meantime."

"Hey, at least that's sort of fun?"

She chuckled. "Yeah, not really. He's not that cute."

"Good news for me, then."

"Oh, hush."

"Anyway, just wanted to check in. I just left your place; York was in a particularly foul post-hangover mood, so I wanted to see if you'd talked to him yet."

"I texted him but he never got back to me. What's wrong, exactly?"

"Oh, just him griping about everything and bitching about you. The usual."

Carolina sighed. "What's he saying now?"

"He called you a life-ruiner. I hadn't heard that one before."

"Yeah, that's a new one."

"Lina, are you guys okay?" She could hear Wash hesitating over the line. "I know you're not really…well, together, I guess? But you are? You never really told me what was going on there."

"We're together but ignoring that I'm moving in a month," she replied.

"Oh."

As he searched for something to say, she noticed that the chubby guy's friend had finally shown up, and the two of them were looking at something on a tablet on their table. She heard the email alert beep on her phone and she sighed. "Hang on, Wash."

"Sure."

She pulled the phone away to check her messages and found an email from the Craigslist guy, saying that they could meet earlier, no problem. He wrote that they'd be there around 4pm and she checked the time; it was 4:05 already.

"Hey Wash, I gotta go. The guys are supposed to be here, I better go find them."

"Okay. Keep me posted, okay? I don't want to hear that you got stabbed or robbed or something."

"Of course. Talk to you later."

"Good luck!"

She put the phone back in her pocket and glanced around again, looking for anyone that might seem like they were looking for her. Besides a few single men or women sitting at various tables, and a few people obviously on dates, the only other people in the coffee house were the guy and his friend, a young man with dark blond hair and wire-rimmed glasses, wearing a maroon shirt. Getting a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach, she stood up and walked over to them, stopping at the other side of the booth.

The man in the orange shirt looked up at her and grinned. "Hey! Changed your mind about not wanting company?" he asked, gesturing for her to sit down. She shook her head.

"No, uh…this is going to be a weird question, but—are you guys looking for a roommate?"

His grin stretched even wider. "Sweetie, we just met, but if you're looking for a place to stay you can totally crash in my bed—"

"Carolina?" the other man said, extending his hand. She smiled and took it, shaking it firmly as he pushed his glasses up on his nose with his other hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Dick Simmons. You can just call me Simmons though, it helps bypass the jokes."

"Nice to meet you too, Simmons. And this must be your roommate?"

The other guy turned a deep shade of scarlet as he shrunk down into the booth, avoiding eye contact. "This is Dexter," Simmons said, pointing at him. "Otherwise known as Grif, or 'hey asswipe.'"

"We've already met." Carolina pulled over a chair and sat down, smiling at them. "So, you two are looking for a roommate?"

"Yeah, we lost Jason when he moved halfway across the country last month to follow a girl. He always was a dumbass," Grif said, shaking his head.

"He's gonna regret that decision _real_ fast," Simmons agreed. "Anyway, we have a vacant room and need someone to move in soon. It's near here, I brought pictures." He pushed the tablet towards her and she took it, starting to flip through the photo album that was queued up.

It _seemed_ like a nice place, with high ceilings and large rooms. The living room was packed with game systems and bookshelves full of movies and action figures, the kitchen was small but looked useable, and the spare room was pretty big, with a large window on the far wall overlooking the city.

"Is this a two or three bedroom place?" Carolina asked, inspecting the pictures further.

"Three rooms," Grif said quickly. He and Simmons looked at each other with weird looks.

"Oh god, _no_, we're not _together_," Simmons added.

"The only thing is that my sister sometimes comes to visit, and she's a goddamned handful," Grif said, grimacing. "But she was just here last month, so she's probably isn't due till the holidays."

"I can deal with crazy," Carolina said knowingly.

They went over rent and other various things, and came to an agreed move-in date near the end of August, a few weeks away. The three of them quickly developed a rapport and were already sharing stories about their friends. Grif seemed particularly amused by her stories about Wash and his kitten.

"I should probably get back to my hotel," Carolina finally said after they'd wasted nearly an hour laughing together. "My friend keeps texting me to make sure you two haven't murdered me yet."

"Aw, but we were just getting to the good stuff," Grif complained.

"Dude, she's gonna move in, we have tons of time to sit around doing nothing," Simmons reminded him. "Anyway, it was great to meet you, Carolina. I'm glad it all worked out!"

"Me too!" She stood up and stuck out her hand, and Simmons shook it. "I'll see you guys in a few weeks then?"

"Sounds great!" Grif leaned back in the booth and grinned. "Oh man, we're gonna live with a girl. This is gonna be great! Are you gonna have friends over for pillow fights and girly movies?"

"Are you stuck in an 80's movie?" she laughed. "I don't even have any friends here yet!"

"Feel free to ignore him," Simmons said, shaking his head. "Anyway, you have my number, so keep in touch and let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"Sure thing. See you guys later!"

They waved and started arguing about something as she left, dialing Wash's number as she walked back towards her hotel.

"Oh thank god you're alive!"

"Dude, chill. They're really sweet guys and I'm going to live with them, we've already decided."

"That's awesome!"

"You're not jealous?"

"You're moving to get _away_ from relationships—I'm not worried that you're going to jump into bed with your roommates."

Carolina laughed. "You have a point."

"So when are you coming home?"

"Tomorrow morning. It was just a short visit to meet with people; I can't afford to stay longer."

"Good! Who's picking you up from the airport?"

"North and Maine."

"Great. Then I'll talk to you tomorrow." Wash sounded entirely too chipper for the conversation.

"Yeah. I'm gonna go back to the hotel and find some dinner around the area, then crash early. Hey, tell York I miss him?"

"Sure."

"It's just that he's ignoring my texts and calls."

"No, it's fine."

"Wash?"

"Yeah?"

She took a deep breath. "I miss you."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Lina."

"See you tomorrow," she echoed, listening to the line go quiet, her ear suddenly filled with the noise of traffic and people yelling around her.

**Part 30**

Carolina looked around the apartment, watching the movers lift the last of the boxes to carry them out to the truck. Most of the place was empty, leaving only York's stuff, which wasn't much. Turned out, most of the furniture had been hers, but she was leaving the couch and most of the living room stuff since Grif and Simmons already had furniture.

North knocked on the doorframe of the open door, smiling at her. "We're ready downstairs," he said, his eyes drooping sadly.

"Okay. Thanks. Just…give me a minute?"

He nodded and left, half-closing the door behind him. She sat down on the floor, looking around at the mostly-empty walls.

_ (b)_

_York sat up a little and rolled over onto his side so he could look down at her. "Can I tell you a secret?"_

_"Do you trust me with a secret?"_

_"You seem okay. Here goes." He stared at a spot above her head, not quite meeting her gaze. "There's another reason I don't spend time with you guys."_

_"Oh really. And what is that?"_

_He scooted a little closer, a smirk curling at the corner of his mouth. "That's a secret," he whispered, holding a finger to his lips, finally looking her in the eyes._

(b)

_"This. This has got to end. I don't know why we got off to such a bad start, but fuck, I'm trying here!"_

_"Why are you even trying? It's not like we were close to begin with!"_

_"Because Wash wanted me to!"_

_She froze, her mind racing. "What? Why would Wash care if we got along?!"_

_"Maybe because he obviously still likes you?" York threw his hands up in the air. "Ugh—I'm over this. I'm just over it. Whatever. He can have you. It's not like you're the best prize at the fair or anything."_

_"Wow. That's—" Carolina was actually speechless. "I just…wow."_

_"Whatever. See you around, I guess." York grabbed his coffee cup and stalked out of the shop, the door nearly slamming closed behind him._

_ (b)_

_"Is that what you want?"_

_"I don't know!" Carolina reached up and rubbed her eyes. "I don't know how to deal with being around you, York. I just don't, and I feel bad because it makes Wash sad and him being sad is like kicking a puppy."_

_"Don't let Wash make your life decisions, you moron."_

_"See, and all the insulting, that doesn't—"_

_"Lina! Just—just shut up!"_

_Before she had a chance to think of a retort she was being pushed down onto the bed, York's lips pressed against hers, applying enough pressure to make her completely lose her train of thought. His strong hands were cupped around her face, holding her steady as their lips worked together. After a few moments he stopped the kiss and pulled away a couple of inches, and she opened her eyes to see him smiling at her with that infuriating crooked smile._

_"See how things can go if you stop yelling at me?" York whispered, stroking her cheek with his thumb._

(b)

_A bottle of champagne was already out on the balcony on a low table, sitting in a bucket of ice. York followed her outside, turning on the porch light before he slid the door closed, and set the forks and glasses on the table. Carolina grinned at him and picked up the bottle, popping the cork with a yell as it ricocheted off the porch wall, falling to the ground. She filled both glasses halfway and set the bottle back in the bucket, handing York one of the glasses._

_"Happy New Year," she toasted, tapping her glass against his._

_"Happy New Year," he echoed, smiling. They both took a sip and leaned against each other, looking out over the balcony at the city block stretching out around them._

_ (b)_

_He reached over and lightly touched her shoulder. She stirred in response, but only a little, keeping her eyes closed._

_"I want you to know that I love you, no matter what anyone else may ever tell you. You mean more to me than anyone else, and I will spend the rest of my life trying to prove that to you."_

_ (b)_

_"I love you more than you know, babe. I'll get you to change your mind."_

_"York…"_

_"Please, give me that." His voice cracked and she could feel herself getting short of breath as she rubbed her eyes, the tears still coming. "Give me something to hold onto. That's all I ask."_

_ (b)_

Carolina stood up, stretching her arms over her head. Everyone was waiting for her downstairs; waiting longer wasn't going to make it any easier.

She trudged down the stairs to where the moving truck was waiting outside the apartment building. She'd already said goodbye to Dakota and CT, making them promise to come visit as soon as they could, and they already had tentative plans set for Thanksgiving. Maine was at work; she'd said goodbye to him the night before, sharing a hug with him as he told her he'd miss having her around to keep North sane. Wash was waiting at the truck with North and York, the three of them leaning against the side like they were in a billboard ad.

North walked up to her first, pulling her in for a tight hug. "How are you doing?" he asked quietly.

"I'm okay," she lied. "I'll come visit soon. You and Maine better not break up or I'm going to have to kick your ass."

North nodded, squeezing her. "We won't," he promised.

"Good."

He finally let go of her and walked back up the steps of the building, disappearing inside. She looked at Wash and York; Wash was smiling at her, and York was frowning at the ground.

"I guess it's about time to go," she said. Wash pushed himself away from the truck and grabbed her, nuzzling his face into her shoulder.

"I'm gonna miss you," he whispered, and she could feel his body tremble slightly. She hugged him back, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'll miss you more," she whispered back.

"Not possible."

"Shut up."

"When you get there, you should unpack your bathroom stuff first."

She raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Just do it. Humor me."

"Okay, Wash."

He pulled away, chuckling. "You better stay safe out there."

"I will."

Wash nodded and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "I, uh, I heard North calling me just now, I better go." He ran off before she could say anything, leaving her and York the last ones outside.

"York?"

He nodded, the scowl fading. "Yeah."

"I've gotta go." She smiled, waiting for him to move away from the truck, or say anything, or even acknowledge the situation.

"I know."

"Then—"

"Are you happy?" he asked, finally looking at her.

"I think so."

"And there's nothing I can do to change your mind?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't be." He shrugged. "I'm just…I'm just angry. At how I handled things."

"You didn't do anything wrong—"

"No, I _did_. I _tried_ too hard. I let myself _fall_ too hard. And I'll learn from it, someday. I love you, Lina."

"I love you too," she said, stepping closer to him. He almost seemed to shrink away, pushing himself against the side of the truck.

"I don't want to say goodbye," he said in a soft voice. "I can't handle that."

"I hate goodbyes," Carolina said, reaching out to brush her fingertips along his cheek, touching the edge of his scar. "Did I ever tell you my mom's belief about goodbyes?"

"I don't think so." A few tears slid down York's cheek.

"She hated goodbyes. 'If you don't say goodbye then you aren't really gone; you just aren't here right now.'"

He smiled against her hand, nodding slightly. "I like that."

"I do too."

"So does that mean I'll see you again?"

"Of course." She moved her hand away from his face and gripped his forearm.

York leaned forward and kissed her lightly, lingering against her lips. She wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words. Finally she let go of him and started walking away towards her car. It was going to be a long drive, and she knew she was going to be too emotional to make it very far if she didn't leave.

"Hey."

Turning around, she watched as York walked towards her, stopping a few feet away. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he was smiling sadly. "Yeah?"

"Goodbye, Lina."

He walked up the stairs back into the apartment building. She sagged against the car door, keys in hand, too numb to even cry.


	16. Chapter 16

**Part 31**

"Is she still moping?"

"Yeah."

"Dude, it's been nearly three weeks."

"Guys?"

"Hey, maybe she went through a breakup or something. Or it could just be moving depression."

"_Moving depression_? What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You know, leaving your friends and family behind? God, it's not rocket science, dickwad."

"It sounded like depression that was constantly moving or something."

"You couldn't figure out what I _meant_?"

"Shut the fuck up, assface."

"_Guys_."

"You seriously have no idea how to even deal with women. How do you _ever _get laid?"

"By not being a condescending jerk!"

Carolina sat up, waving her arms to get their attention. "For _god's sake_ you morons, I'm moping because I broke up with a guy to move here, so _shut up_!"

Grif and Simmons glared at each other. "He started it," Simmons said, and Grif let out an indignant squawk.

"What the _fuck_, Simmons?!"

"Look, I'm sorry I'm moping around. It's just been a rough summer, okay?" Carolina shook her head. "You wanna go get dinner?"

Grif jumped off the edge of the table where he'd been sitting. "Fuck yeah! I'm _always_ down for food!"

"Which is why you're so _fat_," Simmons snickered, walking over to grab his keys from the hook near the door.

"_You're_ fat."

"No I'm not; I actually _go_ to the gym, fatass."

"You two never let _up_, do you?" Carolina dragged herself off the couch, going to grab her jacket from the front closet. "Also, whoever's turn it is to do dishes is slacking. I had to drink juice out of a mug this morning."

Grif let out an innocent whistle as Simmons pointed at him. Carolina raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged, grinning at her.

"Oh my _god_, I'll do them after dinner," he sighed. She smiled and left first, with Simmons following behind. "Jesus Christ, she's as bad as _he_ is," he muttered, shutting the door behind them.

(b)

Carolina was settling into her classes at the university, getting a good rhythm going between working all day and doing homework most evenings. On Thursdays she went with Simmons and Grif to a bar a few blocks away to play trivia, and soon they were at the top of leaderboard, thanks to the staggering amount of useless knowledge they had accumulated over the years between them.

She usually spent the weekends trying to catch up on housework or additional studying, while the guys played video games or watched movies. They both had office jobs that kept them busy all week and Simmons usually went to the gym most nights, leaving Grif at home to work on his art. He had sketchbooks piled all over the dining room table and some of the living room bookshelves, filled with random sketches of whatever caught his eye. Carolina had tried to convince him to apply to art school, but he always complained that it was too much work, and wanted to keep it a hobby.

The last Thursday in October they lost first place at trivia because Simmons couldn't remember the name of the mythical Mexican lizard that eats goats. Grif had argued it was the chupacabra but Simmons wouldn't write it on the answer sheet. When they found out Grif was right, he threw a fit and refused to talk to Simmons for the rest of the game. Carolina had to play mediator between them for over an hour until they finally left.

"Are you done ignoring Simmons yet?" Carolina asked as they walked home, all three irritated that their winning streak was over.

Grif shook his head. "He owes me big," he grumbled.

"Dude, I _said_ I was _sorry_!"

"Carolina, can you tell Simmons he can suck it?"

"Tell me yourself, _fuckwad_!"

"Okay, we're done with this." Carolina stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and held out her arms to stop the two from walking forward. "Simmons, apologize to Grif for not writing down the answer."

"_What_? But I—"

"And Grif, apologize to Simmons for being a dick and ignoring him for the past hour and a half."

"_No_!"

"_Apologize_," she said sternly, crossing her arms over her chest.

They both huffed and glared at each other. "Sorry," they muttered in unison, looking away.

"That's better. Now let's go home."

The three of them started walking again, with Carolina in the lead. Simmons leaned over to Grif and mumbled "Jeez, she's a hardass," and Grif snickered as she rolled her eyes, not wanting to deal with them anymore.

(b)

"Are they really that bad?"

Carolina laughed, shaking her head. "Really, they're not terrible. I think they've been friends for a while, so they have a weird relationship. Like the other night—I caught Simmons plucking a gray hair off Grif's head while they were playing games, and Grif actually _thanked_ him. It was just…well, really amusing, actually."

"Sounds like things are going well for you, then." She couldn't tell if Wash sounded relieved or concerned.

She nodded, brushing some of her bangs out of her eyes. "Yeah, things are good. It's a lot of fun living here with them, but they know well enough to leave me alone when I need to get work done or if I'm just having a bad day."

Wash frowned, leaning in slightly. His face distorted on her laptop screen in the Skype window, making his nose look even larger. "Do you have a lot of bad days?" he asked, his brow knit with worry.

"Oh, not lately. The first few weeks were pretty rough though."

"Yeah."

"What about you guys? How's everyone doing?"

"Well, we're all gearing up for Thanksgiving next week—did North tell you how big a turkey we're going to have?"

"Something crazy like 19 pounds, I think?"

"Hah, yeah, it's 23. I think the farm was feeding this thing _steroids_."

"But Maine doesn't even _eat_ meat, so why such a large turkey?"

Wash rolled his eyes. "Apparently we're having CT and her boyfriend over, as well as Dakota and York, so there'll be plenty of people to eat."

"Oh, that sounds fun. I don't think we're really doing anything here. Simmons mentioned making a turkey but Grif refuses to help cook, so it's probably going to come down to me and Simmons making food and Grif eating it all."

"Ah, good deflection there," Wash said with a smile.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't bother to ask how he's doing after I mention his name. Nice."

Carolina shook her head. "I talked to York last week for a few minutes. He said he was staying busy at work and there wasn't much going on."

"Oh. Okay."

She watched as Wash's expression changed to that of being extremely uncomfortable. "What are you not telling me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, I think North is calling me—"

"Don't even start with that. You live alone now."

"Shit, that's right." Wash leaned back in his chair, as though she were going to reach through the screen to smack him. "Uh, well, York has been…well, _going out,_ as it were."

"Define 'going out.'"

"He's bringing someone to Thanksgiving?"

Carolina's heart skipped a beat and she dropped her gaze to the desktop. "Oh," was all she could manage to say.

"I know it's nothing that serious—"

"Hey, he's allowed to date." She nearly choked on the word. "We're not together anymore. We're…friends. I think."

"Uh, so, change of topic, but I wanted to ask you something."

"Yeah?"

"Did you ever…uh…find a letter?"

Carolina frowned, shaking her head. "I don't think so. What letter?"

"Didn't you unpack yet?"

(b)

_"When you get there, you should unpack your bathroom stuff first."_

_She raised an eyebrow. "What?"_

_"Just do it. Humor me."_

_"Okay, Wash."_

_ (b)_

"_Oh_. Oh, god, I just threw everything in the bathroom without actually ever unpacking. Hang on." She pushed her chair away from the desk as Wash protested that she didn't have to look _right that second_, running over to the small connected bathroom. Underneath the sink was a small box filled with makeup and extra bath supplies that she hadn't really needed to use. She set the box on the edge of the sink and opened it, digging around until she found a small envelope wedged between two loofahs.

Going back to the laptop, she held it up and watched Wash's eyes widen. "Is this it?"

"Oh god _please don't read it in front of me_," he said, his voice high with panic.

"Uh, why not?"

"Call me back." Without another word he ended the call and was gone, leaving her staring at the letter in her hands. She frowned, carefully peeling back the edge of the flap. A few pieces of paper were folded inside and she pulled them out, flattening them on her leg.

(b)

_Carolina,_

_So, I know this isn't as personal as telling you any of this in person, but given everything we've been through lately, I don't think I have the strength in me to handle another rejection._

_Full disclosure: this letter isn't going to be easy for me to write, or for you to read._

_Okay, to start. I want to apologize for that first date we had. It could have gone a lot better, and I wish it had. I know, it wasn't that bad, and we ended up friends because of it. But I still shouldn't have kissed you out of the blue like that. I got scared afterwards, that's why I backed off so quickly and said it felt awkward. But we went over that already._

_Secondly, I want to apologize for pushing you towards York. Yeah, I know, you ended up together and that's a great thing. I don't know if you're going to work it out long-distance or not, but I still feel bad for pushing it in the first place. It wasn't really my place to do that, even if it worked out. Considering my original intentions were just to get you closer to someone else so I could stop thinking about you romantically, that wasn't the best course of action._

_Okay. I do want to say that you two really are great together. I know you fought a lot, and had a lot of issues in the beginning, but Lina, you really __changed__ York. I've never seen him so happy. He's usually a pretty rough guy, but with you, he's totally different, and for the better._

_Here's where I want to get uncomfortable, though._

_I've pretty much loved you from the start. Both York and I saw you at the bar that night, you know? On your birthday? I'd agreed that I would play wingman for him, but once I got outside, I decided that I didn't care. I didn't want him to have you. I was so glad when he was too drunk to even talk to you. I felt bad for thinking that at first, but eventually I didn't care. I was so happy when I found out North had given you my number, and he knew it. Fuckin' North, that guy—anyway. When you called me that was one of the best days ever._

_Then things started getting complicated. In my head it made sense: turn you down romantically, become good friends, and start to get you to see me as more than a friend by spending lots of time together. I kinda fucked that up, right, because you never got to that third step. Whoops. We hung out all the time, but I suck at flirting, and I don't think __any__ of it got through to you. I figured pushing you towards York would make you see what a jerk he usually was, and you would come to me and I'd make things better._

_Haha, see, I'm a fucking genius, I know. Obviously my plan backfired when York decided he liked you and started trying to change for you. Dammit._

_Fast-forward months later when I really started fucking things up. You two were so happy it was making me __miserable__ and North knew it. We had a lot of talks for a while there; he was the only one I could talk to, because I wasn't going to tell you how I felt. You two were doing great; I didn't want to mess that up._

_Then Valentine's Day happened. Fuck, I really regret what I said. I meant it, that's not the issue—but saying it, out loud to York, completely changed our dynamic, our friendship. Did he ever tell you he knew the entire time that I liked you? That he pushed you so hard to make you forget about me? I'm sure you weren't even aware of it. And it wasn't like York didn't really love you that much, he really did—but he was much more vocal about it because of me. Funny. Didn't you ever notice how affectionate he was with you when I was around? That was all on purpose. __Now__ tell me how good of friends we are, both of us constantly trying to dick over the other._

_I also want to be honest about one last thing—that last night we had together, before the beach. You have __no idea__ how hard it was to stop myself from pushing things further. That's probably obvious, though. If you'd let me, I would have slept with you and never felt bad about it. I realize how horrible that sounds, but it's true. I thought that was my chance, and for weeks afterwards I thought I'd blown it—until I realized that you might have felt the same way. Did you? No…don't answer that._

_I said that night that I was trying to be a good guy. I really was, Lina. Every time I think about you I try to tell myself that I'm a good guy, that I'm a good friend, that you're too good for me. But then I start thinking about kissing you, and touching you, and remembering the smell of your perfume, and I get insanely jealous that York was the one who got to do those things with you. Fucking friendship—it may not seem like it, but I respect York enough to not outright steal you away…at least while you're together._

_So now that I've fully admitted to being a terrible person, I'll end this with one request: Don't forget about me. Even if it's just friendship you want, to talk every six months and catch up about the weather, I'll take it._

_I hope you can forgive me for all the shit I've put you through, Lina. You're a wonderful person who deserves the best. I know there's pretty much zero chance that I can be there for you in that respect, but I hope you find someone who can be, someone you can let in to see how amazing you really are._

_Love,_

_Wash_

Carolina wiped away tears, rereading the letter again, trying to comprehend everything. She'd already known most of what he'd written, but it wasn't the same—she'd never had anyone be so completely honest with her.

Reaching up to the keyboard, she hit the 'call' button next to Wash's name, watching the loading screen dial his computer. A few seconds later he answered and his face popped up on her screen, looking anxious.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hey." Her eyes were still watering; she probably looked terrible.

"I'll assume you read it."

"Yeah."

He reached up and ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. "So—"

"Can you come visit?"

Wash's eyes widened. "What?"

"I want to see you." Carolina smiled, wiping away a few more tears. "As soon as possible. Maybe after Thanksgiving?"

"Fuck, I'll be there _tomorrow_ if you want," Wash replied, and she could hear the excitement in his voice as he stared away from the camera and typed something on his end.

She laughed, her voice cracking slightly. "No, I have class all week still. And you have to help eat all that turkey."

"Oh, didn't I tell you? I'm vegan now. Fuck turkey. Look, there's a morning flight on Friday that's still available." He pointed at his screen as though she could see what he could. "Want me to book it?"

She shook her head. "No, seriously, I have a lot to get done this weekend before the break, and we both have plans for Thanksgiving."

"I super don't care about our friends."

"_I_ care! And it's my first holiday with the guys. I think they expect me to make a big deal out of it."

"Screw them—they can deal with me there."

"Wash, we can wait until after the holidays—"

"But you have break all next week. It's perfect—I don't want to be there if you're going to have class the entire time."

Carolina smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Just booked my flight. I'll be there…" He squinted at the screen. "…seven-thirty in the evening on Friday. Can you come pick me up?"

"Forward me the flight details."

"Done."

"How on earth did you buy a ticket so fast?"

Wash grinned. "As soon as I found the ticket I bought it. I didn't care what you were going to say. See you Friday!" He ended the call and she stared at her reflection in the glass, startled at how happy she looked.


	17. Chapter 17

**Part 32**

"This is _bullshit_," Grif repeated, running a damp rag over the counter.

"Shut up or she'll make us do _more_," Simmons hissed as he washed the dishes that had been building up in the sink.

Carolina came out of the bathroom holding a basket of wet towels. "Who was supposed to be on main bathroom duty this week? It's a disaster in there!" she hollered, glaring at Grif to add "and I swear to god if I hear you laugh at the word 'duty' I'll smack you."

Simmons guiltily raised a hand covered in soap bubbles. "Sorry, I stayed late at work the other night and didn't get a chance."

"Are the dishes almost done?" she asked, dropping the basket by the door.

"Yeah, just have these last ones to load."

"Go start the towels now, I'll finish the dishes. Grif, vacuum the living room and hallway. Have you guys even _started_ putting away your videogames?" A quick glance toward the disaster of a living room made her shake her head. "Seriously, what I am going to do with you guys?"

Grif threw the rag on the counter and put his hands on his hips. "Fuck you! Why are you making us _clean_ until _eleven at night_? This is bullshit—I need to sleep for work tomorrow! I don't get all of next week off like _you_ do, and Fridays are _busy_!"

Simmons smacked him on the arm. "Don't push her, man, she's _possessed_—"

"I'm not _possessed_, I just don't want the place to look like _shit_!" she said, irritated.

"What's the big deal? No one ever comes over. Simmons doesn't even _have_ friends."

"_Fuck_ you, I have friends!"

"Yeah? When was the last time _anyone_ came over?"

"Leonard stopped coming over because _you_ always called him a tightass, and Lopez—"

"_I don't care_!" Carolina hollered, getting their attention. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I have a friend coming to visit tomorrow night."

"A friend?" Grif raised an eyebrow, relaxing his stance. "Male or female?"

"Does it matter?"

"_Yes_."

She sighed. "It's Wash."

"The one with the cat?"

"Yes."

"Is he bringing the cat?"

"_No_."

"Then why should I care?"

Simmons finished the last of the dishes and closed the dishwasher door, wiping his hands dry on a towel. "Yeah, why should we care?" he echoed. Grif shot him an annoyed look.

"Because—well, because I'm not really sure what's going on between us and I want the place to look nice so he's not uncomfortable because if _he's_ uncomfortable then _I'm_ going to be uncomfortable and I don't need more stress and—"

"Okay, okay," Simmons interrupted, walking over to her. He put a hand on her shoulder and she looked at him, struggling not to cry. "We'll finish the cleaning, okay?"

"We will?" Grif called out.

"Just go to bed and when you wake up, the place will be up to code," he reassured her, glaring at Grif, who just shrugged.

Carolina sniffled. "Thanks, you guys."

"No problem." Simmons turned her towards her room and shoved her away, turning to look at Grif. He grabbed the rag again and started scrubbing at the counter, muttering something about 'this is why I hate girls.'

(b)

Carolina waited at the terminal where Wash had said he'd be landing, fidgeting with her purse strap. The plane had already landed but was taking forever to let people off, and she was standing next to an older woman who kept glancing at her with a knowing look.

"Hi," she finally said with a smile, waving at the woman.

"Hello," the woman replied, nodding at her. "Who are you waiting for?"

"Just a friend I haven't seen in a while. You?"

"My granddaughter. She's coming for the holiday." She smiled at Carolina. "Is he handsome?"

"Who?"

"Your friend, dear."

Carolina blushed, glancing at the ground. "It's not like that," she replied.

"Mmhmm."

She looked at the woman, who was smiling knowingly. "Really," she insisted.

"I hope he has a nice visit," she said, nodding. Carolina smiled at her out of politeness.

Finally people began to come out of the gate, scattered in groups of two or three. Carolina watched as a lot of couples were reunited and families hugged other family members. A small girl came running up to the old woman, jumping into her arms. Carolina smiled, remembering that feeling whenever she saw her grandmother.

"Grammy!"

"Hello sweetie!"

"I rode on the plane all by myself!"

"I know, I'm very proud."

Carolina craned her neck to see around the crowd, but didn't see Wash anywhere. Someone tapped her on the shoulder and she spun around to be welcomed by a bear hug, her face buried in Wash's shoulder, his hands wrapped tightly around her shoulders. She managed to bring her own hands up and rested them on his waist, breathing deeply. He still smelled like the aftershave she'd bought him for Christmas the previous year.

"Hey," he breathed, reaching up to place a firm hand on the back of her head.

"Hey," she replied, holding him tightly. They loosened their grip on each other after a few seconds and she looked up at him, both of them grinning like idiots. They probably looked like they hadn't seen in other in years.

"Thanks for picking me up," Wash said, curling a hand under her chin.

"Yeah, no problem," she said.

He tilted her head and leaned down, kissing her with such forceful passion that she felt the air leave her lungs as she kissed him back, her hands on his chest as his other hand wound itself into the ends of her hair. She arched her back to close the distance between them and he broke the kiss with a strangled noise.

"People," he said, his cheeks flushed.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, stepping back as she reached up to straighten her hair. She caught a glance from the grandmother, who was laughing as she walked away with her granddaughter.

"_Famished_."

(b)

They managed to get a cab (Carolina had quickly learned that it wasn't worth driving in New York when the gas was outrageously high and cabs were plentiful) and she directed the driver towards a small burger place off one of the side streets that she'd discovered while lost her first week in the city. She paid the fare and they grabbed Wash's two duffel bags from the trunk, carrying them inside to stuff under a table. She went to order their food as Wash checked his phone for messages and to let North know he'd gotten there safely.

"North says you better take good care of me," Wash said as she approached the table with two baskets filled with their burgers and more fries than they could probably eat. She laughed as she settled into the chair opposite him, pushing one of the baskets towards him.

"I think you can handle yourself," she snickered, picking up her burger. She took a bite as she felt Wash's leg brush against hers under the table.

"Yeah, I hope so."

"How did everyone react when you told them you were visiting?"

"Just fine, considering only North knows. Well, and presumably Maine."

"You didn't tell anyone else?"

"Was I supposed to?" He looked at her curiously.

"No, I just—sorry, I assumed everyone knew."

"I don't exactly talk to the others that often." She knew who he meant by 'others,' and couldn't decide if she wanted to push the issue or not.

"Oh, okay."

"I know _that_ tone. Okay, let me be honest here." He popped a fry into his mouth and chewed slowly, as though giving himself time to choose the right words. "I haven't been alone in a room with him since you left."

"You don't talk anymore?"

"Oh, no, we talk. We talk when everyone's in the room, about sports, the weather, work, you name it. But we don't _talk_, not like we used to."

"I pretty much ruined your friendship."

"No, that didn't come out right. Look." He moved his hand across the table and tapped the back of her hand. "We're still friends. Whatever happens, he and I will _remain_ friends. We'll probably never be as close as we were, but you know what? I realized that while I thought we were best friends, he and I never really had the same closeness as North and I do. We were best friends by association, you know? Not that it makes it any less difficult, because we used to talk all the time, but...it makes it a little easier to accept. If that makes sense. Like you and CT—you're not as close as you and Dakota are, right? But you'd still be sad if something happened to that friendship?"

Carolina nodded. "Yeah, exactly. I get it. I'm still sorry, though."

Wash shrugged, pulling his hand back to pick up his burger. "I'm sorry too, but not because of anything you did or didn't do. So don't worry about it."

"So just to continue with the awkward but necessary topic, where do you think _we_ are?" she asked, pushing away her burger basket. Suddenly she wasn't very hungry.

Wash took a large bite of his own burger, rolling his eyes back in his head. "Oh my _god_ this is _delicious_," he managed to say around the food in his mouth. She chuckled and waited for him to finish chewing before giving him a look. "Oh. Uh." He wiped his mouth on a napkin, shrugging. "Yeah. Us. Well, I don't know."

"The airport—"

"Was probably a bit presumptuous on my part," he finished for her. "Though if I'm not mistaken, you seemed like you wanted to see where that was going to end up."

She could feel her cheeks getting hot. "This is confusing," she deflected.

"Yeah, I know."

"I don't want to just jump into anything, especially bed."

Wash raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, jumping is dangerous. I figured we would lay down first."

"Wash—"

"_Relax_, Lina."

And just like that, she was at ease. Funny how just the sound of her name in his voice could calm her down instantly. "Sorry."

"Let's just finish eating and go to your place. I can't wait to meet these two idiots you live with."

"Yeah, they're excited to meet you too."

"Really?"

"Of course," she lied, eating another fry.

(b)

"Stop fucking _cheating_!"

"I'm not cheating, dick! I'm just _better_ than you!"

"Impossible!"

The match ended and Grif threw down the controller in a huff, stalking over to the kitchen to get another beer. Wash flashed Carolina a thumbs-up and she grinned, returning the gesture. Simmons set down his controller and sighed, standing up from the couch.

"I'm out. I'm tired of getting my ass kicked." He grabbed his gym bag near the door and scowled at Carolina. "You two have fun; I'm going to the gym."

"Nice to meet you!" Wash called out, starting another match as Simmons stormed out the front door. "C'mon, Grif, you're up again."

"Fuck _no_. I'm done too. Fucking _bullshit_," he growled, heading into the hallway towards his room. Wash laughed and turned off the game system, standing up to stretch.

"So, uh, guess your roommates like me," he said, coming over to where she was sitting on the floor, reading a book. He held out his hand and she took it, letting him help her up off the floor.

"They'll get over it," she laughed.

"What do you want to do? We have all night," Wash pointed out. "It's not even ten yet."

"Honestly, I'm exhausted," Carolina admitted. "It's been a busy week, and we stayed up late cleaning last night, and with everything I'm just ready for bed."

"We can do that."

She saw the twinkle in his eye and frowned. "I really mean bed, like to sleep," she clarified.

"I know! I'm tired too. The flight was horrendously long." Wash sighed. "Really not looking forward to flying back home."

"When do you leave?"

"Next Sunday."

"Wow, that's over a week."

"Is that a problem?" Wash brushed his fingers over her cheek as she smiled.

"I don't know if that'll be enough time," she replied.

"For what?"

"To show you the city."

"I don't care about the city."

"Good, because neither do I."

(b)

Carolina opened her eyes slowly. The morning sunlight was streaming through her thin blue curtains, casting a pale blue shadow over most of her floor. She shifted slightly to read the clock and saw that it was nearly eleven in the morning. She _never_ slept past seven-thirty, even on the weekends, and it dawned on her that she'd just slept more than six solid hours for the first time since moving to New York.

Something moved behind her and she felt the hand on her waist before she could reconcile her surroundings with her memory of the night before. Her eyes widened and she twisted her head back to see Wash still asleep next to her, the sheet pulled up over his waist. He'd gone to bed with a shirt that was mysteriously gone, and he had a satisfied smile on his face as he breathed evenly, the muscles in his arm twitching slightly.

Poor guy was probably more exhausted than she'd been, with the flight and the stress of meeting the roommates. She managed to wiggle her way out of the bed without waking him and pulled on a robe over her flannel pants and tank top, sneaking out to start some breakfast in the kitchen.

Simmons and Grif were seated at the table, eating a plate of bacon together as Grif showed off some of his new drawings. "I like that one," Simmons was saying, reaching for another strip of bacon as Carolina walked into the kitchen, grabbing a glass out of the cabinet.

"Morning guys," she greeted. They waved bacon at her and continued flipping through the sketchbook as she poured herself some juice.

"Where's Captain Amazing?" Grif asked, finally looking over at her.

"Still asleep. And don't call him that."

"God, it's practically afternoon. Even _I_ don't sleep that late on the weekends," Grif said with a laugh. "What did you two _do_ last night?"

"Nothing, we just slept."

"Uh-huh."

"Honest!"

"Far be it from us to judge," Simmons chimed in, adjusting his glasses on his nose. "I mean, obviously you two have something between you."

"Yeah, it's _super_ obvious. So if you want to get it on, just make sure you stay quiet enough that we don't have to hear it. Or just tell us and we'll leave," Grif added.

"_Guys_!"

"Hey, good morning everyone." Wash appeared at the end of the hallway, still shirtless, clad only in boxers, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Carolina saw Simmons' eyes widen and glance self-consciously down at himself. "What's for breakfast?"

"We have some bacon left over," Grif offered.

"Sweet, don't mind if I do."

"Dude, do you work out like…_every day_?" Simmons asked, his tone bordering between jealousy and admiration.

Wash shrugged, reaching between them for a piece of bacon. "Not really," he mumbled through a mouthful. "Few times a week, when I get time."

"Fucking _hell_."

"_What_?!"

"It's just not fair," Simmons muttered, standing up. He retreated to his room as Grif laughed, flipping through his sketchbook.

"What's his problem?" Wash asked, confused.

"He's just totally self-conscious. Simmons was such a nerd in high school that he never could get any girls, so he started working out all the time but it doesn't really do much for him anyway. The muscles never want to stay, it seems." Grif looked over Wash and whistled. "Clearly you don't have the same problem."

Wash turned a peculiar shade of pink and glanced over at Carolina, who had been leaning on the counter watching the interaction. She just rolled her eyes and smiled.

"So what're you drawing lately?" she directed at Grif, grabbing her juice to set down on the table.

"Oh, nothing," he said quickly, trying to flip the sketchbook shut. Wash reached out and snatched it from his grip, fluttering through the pages.

"Wow, you're really talented," he commented, stopping on a few pages to inspect them. "You've really got down the human form."

"Yeah, I bribe Simmons into modeling for me sometimes."

"Well, it's working. I mean, you can really—" He stopped, frowning slightly. "What's this?"

"What? I mean, it's nothing."

Wash handed the sketchbook to Carolina and she looked at the page to see what looked like a sketch of her, lying on the couch, watching television. "You…drew _me_?" she asked, slightly amazed. He'd done a phenomenal job of capturing her loneliness and depression. It must have been during the first couple of weeks she'd been living with them.

Grif looked down at the table, shrugging. "I know I should have asked, but—well, you were upset, and I wanted to see if I could get that emotion on paper. It sucks, I know, but I've been trying to clean it up the past couple of weeks. I feel like it's missing something still."

"No, you really got it," Wash said quietly, setting a heavy hand on Grif's shoulder. "I've seen that look before."

She set the book on the table, looking up at Wash. "When?"

"That night we talked. Before the beach."

"Oh."

Grif cleared his throat, grabbing back the sketchbook. "Okay, _clearly_ this is something I don't need to be involved in, so I'm gonna get the fuck out of here." He retreated to the safety of his room, leaving the two of them at the table.

Wash sat down in Grif's vacated chair, his eyes crinkling with a smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up in front of him."

"No, it's okay. I'm sorry you ever had to see that look in the first place."

He reached out and touched her cheek. "I have a goal to make sure you never have that look again," he said.

"Wash—"

"So, what are we doing today?" His face brightened as he grabbed another piece of bacon.

"Uh." He'd caught her off-guard, as usual. "I don't know. Maybe just walk around the city, see some sights?"

"Can I be honest with you?"

"Of course."

Wash stood up and reached out to grab her around the waist, hauling her to her feet. "I have zero desire to ever leave this apartment," he whispered, brushing some hair behind her ear.

A shiver ripped through her body and she grinned. "Me neither," she whispered back, leaning in to kiss his cheek.

"Grif! Simmons!" he hollered. She winced and pulled away, covering her ears. "Get the fuck _out_ of the apartment _immediately_!"

"Yes _sir_," Simmons shouted back, and seconds later they heard the front door open and close, cutting off the sounds of the two of them catcalling and laughing. Carolina buried her face in her hands, mortified, and Wash wrapped his hand in her hair, gently pulling up her head to look at him.

"I don't care who knows it," he said, his voice husky. "I love you, Carolina."

She pushed herself forward against him, their lips crashing together, nearly bruising her mouth. They both fought for control but she eventually won, grabbing his face with both hands, biting his lower lip. He let out a groan and firmly set his hands behind her thighs, picking her up off the floor so she could wrap her legs around his waist.

"Couch or bed?" he managed to say between furious, passionate kisses.

"Bed," she grinned, and he quickly carried her down the hallway, kicking open her half-closed door. He stumbled over to the bed and she unlocked her legs so he could set her down, gently but rushed at the same time. Carolina laughed as he looked down at his boxers, as though contemplating when to remove them.

"Fine, we'll start with you," he grinned, shoving her robe down around her shoulders. She finished pulling it off and threw it to the ground. Wash pushed her down on the bed and started kissing his way down her neck, nibbling at her collarbone, his hands already working at the ribbon tying her flannel pants around her waist.

"I feel like this isn't fair," she giggled, giving Wash brief pause.

"What?"

"You spent all that money to get here and we haven't even left the apartment yet."

"Again, I don't have a problem with staying in the entire time," Wash assured, shaking his head. He continued kissing her, pushing up her tank top with one hand as she giggled.

"As long as you're—_sure_," she sighed as he brushed his lips along her stomach, licking a small trail towards her belly button.

"_Shut up_, Lina." Her pants fell away as he slipped one hand further down, lightly scratching at her thighs.

She sat up and he looked up at her, face flushed with excitement. Pulling off her tank top she watched as he stood up, hands on the waist of his boxers, pushing them down a second later to step out of them. He grinned and climbed onto the bed on top of her, pressing their bodies together, burying her in a rough kiss. Carolina vaguely wondered if the beep she's just heard was imaginary or actually coming from her phone on the nightstand, but as soon as she felt him against her, she ignored anything that wasn't Wash.


	18. Chapter 18

**Part 33**

"So, how was _your _afternoon?" Grif asked over dinner later that night, staring pointedly at Wash.

He stared right back, not backing down. "Pretty great," he replied. "You?"

"Not great, since we were kicked out of our _own apartment_," Grif said, stabbing a piece of lettuce in his salad.

"That's what I thought."

Simmons coughed, obviously uncomfortable. "So, do you guys want to go sightseeing or anything tomorrow?"

Carolina shrugged, looking at Wash, who was in the middle of a stare-down with Grif. "I don't know. Is there anything you wanted to do?"

He wasn't even listening. "What did you guys do today?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at Grif.

"Had some lunch, hit on some girls, got some numbers, the usual," Grif replied. "What did _you_ guys do?"

"Had some sex, made some dinner for everyone. You know, the usual."

"_Aw dude, _is this_ sex salad_?!" Grif shrieked, shoving his plate across the table as Simmons dropped his fork on his plate in disgust.

"We didn't make dinner _naked_," Carolina said quickly as Wash burst out laughing hysterically. Grif threw down his fork and stomped out of the kitchen, grabbing his coat to storm out of the apartment. Simmons gently pushed his chair out and set his napkin down on the table, glaring at the two of them before following suit.

Carolina groaned, picking up her plate to put in the sink. "_That_ went well," she muttered, glaring at Wash, who was nearly red in the face from laughing so hard.

"Babe, that was _hilarious_! Did you _see _the _look_—"

The clattering of the plate in the sink echoed in the apartment at the same time he stopped talking, the color quickly draining out of his face. "What?" she asked quietly, her ears burning.

Wash stood up, bringing his plate over to the counter. "Nothing," he said quickly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. I don't—I have no idea where that came from."

"Kind of hard not to think about."

He came around the counter and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I guess being around you two so much, I picked it up or something."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Are we going to talk about earlier? I guess now would be a good time."

"Talk about what, exactly?"

"Come on, Lina."

(b)

_Wash's heavy breaths were in her ear, sounding like a metronome keeping time. His hands were wrapped around her waist, holding her closely but leaving just enough room between them to feel comfortable. The sheets were pulled up over them, one of her hands clutching at the edge of the fabric as she laid on her other arm, not looking at him._

_"Talk to me," he said softly, remaining still._

_"I don't even know what to say."_

_"Then _I'll_ say it: that was awkward."_

_Carolina wanted to laugh but couldn't bring herself to expel that much effort on the process; instead her mind was focusing on how everything was going to be different, ruined._

_"That's one way to put it."_

_"It's probably because of me." Wash sighed, rolling back a bit to give her more room. "I'm sorry. We should have waited."_

_"No, I—I mean, I wanted it just as badly. It's not that."_

_"Then what?"_

_She noticed her phone was flashing the alert light, telling her she had a text message. Reaching out to grab it, Wash let go of her waist so she could move more easily. "Are you seriously checking your phone right now?" he asked, the words almost a growl. _

_"It could be important."_

_"They'dve _called_ if it was."_

York (11:15am): Want to know if it's true that he's there with you. Call me.

_Carolina froze, staring at the message. Wash kissed her shoulder and leaned over, trying to read it. "Who was it?"_

_"No one."_

_"Lina, come on—" He caught a glimpse of the screen as she turned it off. "What did _he_ want?"_

_"Nothing."_

_"Please don't do that."_

_She took a deep breath. "He wants to know if you're here. With me."_

_"Are you going to tell him?"_

_"I don't know. _Are_ you here with me?"_

_Wash frowned. "What do you mean?"_

_"I mean…are you visiting as a _friend_, or are we…something else?"_

_He put a hand back on her hip, kissing her shoulder again. "I don't know. What do you think?"_

_"I'm beyond confused," she admitted._

_"Then let's take some time to figure it out, okay?"_

_"Okay."_

_ (b)_

Carolina leaned back into him, closing her eyes. "I haven't thought of anything else to say. I'm sorry."

Wash spun her around and kissed her deeply, pinning her against the counter. Her arms moved seemingly on their own to wrap around his waist, pulling him closer as their lips worked together.

"Seems like you at least know what you want," he said in a low voice.

"Right now, I just want something simple," she said, kissing him lightly. "Can we just be…simple right now?"

"Whatever you need."

(b)

Grif and Simmons were in the living room playing video games the next morning as Wash showered. They were going to take him to a hockey game so she could get ahead on some schoolwork, since she had zero interest in sports of any kind.

Her phone was taunting her from the table, but she didn't want to call him until Wash was gone. Finally he came out of her room, freshly showered and dressed in jeans and a brown sweater, his brownish-blonde hair still slightly damp. He had on his yellow and gray Chucks, which made her smile, remembering him wearing them the first night they met.

"Ready to go, guys?"

Grif and Simmons put down their controllers, nodding. "We'll be back by dinner," Simmons told Carolina, and she nodded. Wash practically skipped over to her and bent down to kiss the top of her head.

"I've never been to a hockey game before, this is exciting! Do they really get into fights all the time like in the movies?"

Grif smacked him on the shoulder, grinning. "Oh man, you're gonna have _so_ much fun."

The three of them left and she kept working on one of her current designs, wanting to get it done before she did anything else since her professor had asked for it before Thanksgiving. After an hour of erasing and carefully drawing new lines and erasing some more, she finally threw her pencil at the wall and grabbed her phone, rocking back in the chair as she dialed York's number.

Sort of unsurprisingly, he picked up on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Hi."

"You finally called."

"Yeah, sorry. All of us went to a movie."

"How are the roommates? Busy hitting on you constantly?" His tone was light, conversational. It was awkward, and they both knew it.

"No, they're really nice. We're getting along really well, I'm glad it worked out with them. I don't think Grif will ever get a girlfriend, but I hope Simmons does soon, he's sweet."

"Great."

"How have you been?"

A long exhale. "Not bad. Just working a lot. Finished that bank last month. I'm back to physical labor now, did I mention that?"

"Yeah, last time we talked."

"Oh. Then yeah."

"How's North?"

"You probably talk to him more than me, to be honest. He and Maine are pretty busy these days doing couples crap, and I've been working too much to really hang out longer than to grab a beer."

She tapped her fingers on the table. "I'm sorry, that sucks."

"Eh, it's fine."

"So I heard a rumor that you're bringing a date to Thanksgiving?" She decided to be brave and just bring it up.

"So _I_ heard a rumor that Wash is there visiting you?"

Even though she knew he couldn't see her, she started feeling nervous and knew her cheeks were flushed. "Is yours true?"

"Depends on how _you_ answer."

Carolina hesitated. "He's here visiting, yes."

"As a friend, or…?"

_Goddammit, York, I don't know how much to tell you without you getting angry_. "Yes, as a friend. A friend who actually kept in touch with me when I left."

"Ooh, throwing out some guilt there, nice one, Carolina."

"I don't know what you want from me, York."

"I want to know why you didn't want me."

_That_ threw her off; she'd been expecting shouting, accusations, something worse. "Of course I wanted you. I just…wanted other things too."

"I can't accept that."

"It's the truth."

"Well, the truth is shit and I want a different truth."

"Fine, you want a _different_ truth?" Anger was suddenly building in her chest and she stood up off the chair, clutching the phone tightly in her hand. "You wanted too much too fast, York, _that's_ another truth. You want another one? I wasn't even sure I wanted you to move in but you did anyway!"

"There you go—get mad!"

"_Why_? Why do you _want_ me _mad_ at you?"

"Because then you _might_ feel a _fraction _of how_ outright furious _Iam with_ myself_!"

Carolina paused. "Mad at _yourself_? What—"

"For fucking saying _goodbye_ when you left, okay? I shouldn't have fucking _said that_, but I _did,_ and I can't take that _back_! It's been eating me alive—that's why I never _called_ you when you left, that's why I can barely even _talk to you_ without wanting to punch someone in the face, that's why I can't _stand_ to be around anyone else right now, because I'm so goddamned _pissed off at myself_!"

"York, stop—"

"Just—please, I need to know, did you two _ever_ sleep together while you were with me?" His voice was suddenly desperate and pleading, sounding like he was close to tears.

"No, York." She was much calmer now.

"Honest?"

"Of course. We never slept together while you and I were together."

"Have you since he got there?"

"Would it help anything if I told you one way or the other?"

York was silent for a moment. "No, it wouldn't," he said quietly.

"What can I do to make this easier?" she asked, sitting down on the couch.

"Nothing. _Nothing_ will make this _easier_. The only thing that will fix everything is if _you come home and marry me_."

"York…"

"No, I know. I'll get over you someday. Clearly you're already over me."

"I'm not _over you_."

"Well, Wash will distract you, at least."

"That's not—no, you know what? _Fuck you_, York. _Fuck. You_." She stood up, anger boiling up in her veins.

"Fuck _me_? For _what_?"

"For forcing me to make such drastic decisions! For making it impossible to even _consider_ getting over you! I feel bad every time I even _look_ at another guy—"

"That's _good_! I _want_ you to feel guilty—maybe that will make you realize how fucking _awful_ you're being!"

"Oh, _that's_ rich—_you're_ the one who made us move so fucking _fast_! We were barely together _four_ _months_ before you said you _loved me_! You told Wash that we were only going to end in heartbreak or marriage, so _guess what, York, you got one of those options_!"

"I fucking_ knew_ you heard that conversation!" _Now_ he was yelling. She was so far past the line of thinking rationally that it didn't really matter.

"Of _course_ I did, you don't know how to fucking _talk quietly_ in a_ one-bedroom apartment_!"

"Jesus fucking _Christ_ I don't even know _why_ I still want you! No matter what you say or do, _I still love you_ and I don't know _why_!"

"That sounds like a _personal problem_ because I'm sure as _fuck _over _you_!" Carolina shouted into the phone. Without waiting for a response she hung up and flung the phone across the room, watching it smash into the wall. The case fell apart and crashed to the ground, leaving a crack in her screen that she could see from where she was standing. She collapsed to her knees and stared at the carpet, knowing that the proper reaction would be to start sobbing. Instead she just felt…hollow.


	19. Chapter 19

**Part 34**

"So are we gonna talk about how your phone got cracked?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Wash pushed her hair away from her neck and started kissing the skin, leaving little trails of kisses down to the collar of her shirt. Carolina shook her head lightly, enough for him to stop and look up at her, his eyes half-lidded with lust and confusion. They'd been making out on her bed for the past ten minutes; the hockey game had gotten him all riled up and he'd spent the hour after they got back yelling about sports with Grif and Simmons until she'd gotten fed up with it and dragged him into the bedroom.

"What's wrong?"

"This. _All_ of this. I don't know what to do, Wash."

His other hand, which had been on her waist, squeezed just hard enough to make her jump. "What are you talking about?"

"I called him."

"Yeah, I figured that's how the phone got busted. What happened?" He shifted uncomfortably, pulling a pillow over his lap.

"It didn't go well, that's what happened."

"Does he know about us?"

She frowned. "No, not yet. He asked if we slept together while I still lived there."

Wash exhaled, idly scratching the back of his neck. "He asked me that too, about a week after you moved. He really thinks the reason you left him was because of me. That's…not true, right?"

"Of course not! I left him because I wanted to live my life and not be tied down."

"Which you _are_ doing…sort of."

Carolina tilted her head. "What do you mean, 'sort of'?"

"I mean—you made it a couple months on your own, sure, but what am _I_ doing here then?"

"You're…you're visiting me as a friend."

"Who you're also fucking?"

"Wow, that's a _nice_ way to put it. Thanks, Wash." She stood up and swatted his hand away as he tried to reach for her wrist.

"Lina, come on. I just don't want to be a distraction from your memories."

_ 'Well, Wash will distract you, at least.' _"I never said you were a _distraction_. I said I wanted to keep things _simple._"

"And that's fine with me. Look, I don't want to fight. Unless that leads to make-up kisses." Wash stood and quickly crossed the distance between them, sweeping her up in his arms to kiss her lightly on the tip of her nose. "As long as we're going _somewhere_ I don't really care if it's just as friends or as more than that. I'll let you decide, as long as you agree to keep me in the loop. Sound fair?"

She nodded, locking eyes with him. "All right."

"Good. Now let's go get dinner, I'm fucking starving."

As though they'd been listening in, someone started pounding on their door as soon as Wash finished talking. "Can you two stop having sex so we can get some food?" Grif hollered through the thin wood. "Those nachos weren't enough, I'm dying out here!" They could hear Simmons lecturing him to be more considerate as Carolina leaned her head against Wash's chest, breathing deeply to calm herself.

(b)

"Simmons, go check on the turkey. Grif, are you done setting the table yet?"

"No, _sir_."

"There's only four of us—how hard can it _be_?"

"_Whatever_."

"Wash, make sure we have enough bowls for all the sides, and find serving spoons if you can."

"Aye-aye, ma'am."

"Can we just _eat_ already?" Grif complained as he set the last of the forks next to one of the plates. "Everything smells so great and I haven't eaten for at _least_ two hours! That pie didn't last nearly as long as I'd hoped it would."

"_Did you eat my pie_?" Carolina rushed over to the fridge as Grif's face twisted in panic.

"Uh…uhh…"

"_Goddammit Grif that was supposed to be dessert_!"

"_Run_, dude," Wash said, pushing Grif towards the front door. "Come back in half an hour," he whispered, handing him a coat as he slammed the door shut.

"_Wash_!"

"Simmons, watch the kitchen for a few, will you?"

"Sure thing," he replied, watching Wash drag Carolina away from her warpath to chase Grif out the door. He shoved her into her bedroom and shut the door, leaning against it to block her exit.

"Wash, what the _hell_, I've got to go beat the _shit_ out of Grif, he ate the fucking _dessert_!"

"No, you need to calm down," he replied, holding his arms out to his sides. "Come here."

"No."

"Lina."

"_No_."

"If you don't let me hold you I'm going to be forced to take drastic measures."

"Empty threats."

"Okay then." Wash reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out his phone, dialing a number.

"Who are you calling?"

"No one, if it's just an empty threat." He raised the phone to his ear as she sat on the edge of her bed, grumbling quietly. "Hey! Happy Thanksgiving!" he said as someone on the other end apparently answered. "Thanks. Yeah, I've been having fun out here. …Details later, man, trust me. …Oh, nothing, just Lina being a bitch about her roommate eating the dessert already." He laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, I know right? Anyway, I told her I'd take drastic measures, and—yeah, that's right. Thanks." He grinned at her and she scowled back, still not sure he was actually talking to anyone. "Hey there. Did he explain the situation? …Do you mind talking to her? …Okay, hang on." Wash held the phone out, wiggling it a little as a signal for her to take it.

She carefully took the phone from him, putting it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Carolina." The familiar voice growled her name and she blanched.

Wash grinned at her as she turned away, tucking her other hand into her pocket. "_Maine_. How are you?"

"I'll be better when you go apologize to your roommates."

"You don't even know what happened."

"North just told me. It's just dessert."

"But I spent—"

"_Apologize_. Now hand the phone back to Wash."

"_Fine._" She mouthed a sarcastic '_I'm sorry_' to Wash and he nodded as he took the phone back.

"It's me again. Thanks, man. …You too. Tell North we miss him. And you of course. Mmhmm, see ya." He hung up the phone and moved away from the door so she could leave. "Going to apologize?"

"Yes, but only because Maine still scares me a little."

"Wise choice."

(b)

"Okay. Now that everyone is here and calm—" Wash shot a look at Carolina, who rolled her eyes, "we can eat. Does anyone want to say thanks?"

"Yeah, I'm thankful you're here to talk Carolina off the crazy bitch precipice," Grif said, picking up his beer bottle. He took a swig as Carolina clenched her fist, smiling overly-sweetly at him.

"And _I'm_ thankful Wash is here to prevent me from committing _murder_," she shot back.

"_I'm_ thankful that Carolina was able to move in and save us from going broke when Jason abandoned us," Simmons added, kicking Grif under the table. He protested and reached down to rub his shin, grumbling.

"Yeah, fine, me too…"

"And with that, Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!" Wash did a slow clap as Simmons reached for the turkey plate first, giving himself a generous helping before passing it over to Carolina so that Grif would be last.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, occasionally muttering something about how good the food tasted, enjoying the rare bout of peace. Finally Carolina cleared her throat and everyone looked at her, mouths filled with food.

"I just want to apologize for how I've been acting lately. Like…pretty much the entire time I've lived here. It's really complicated, but I'm working through some stuff, and hopefully I'll be better at everything eventually." She looked down at her plate, expecting to get made fun of, but no one said anything. After about ten seconds of awkward silence, she looked back up to see everyone still looking at her.

"Yeah, it's cool," Grif said with a shrug. "Wash explained everything at the game on Sunday."

"You were in a really intense relationship and there are still feelings there," Simmons summed up, nodding. "We understand. I mean, not _completely_, because we both suck at relationships and girls in general, but it's okay. You're allowed to work through your feelings."

"Dude, speak for yourself, _I _got laid a couple weeks ago."

"Ohh, good for _you_," Simmons replied sarcastically. "Because that _totally _makes you an authority on women."

"More than _you_—"

"Wait, you _told_ them?" Carolina smacked Wash on the arm and he let out a yell of pain. "I never said that was okay!"

"I'd assumed you already _did_, and something about York slipped out, and suddenly they were asking me who that was and I'm not good at lying under pressure, you _know_ that!"

"He's really shitty at lying," Grif agreed. "He started off on some tangent about how York was your dog you'd had as a kid, but that quickly fell apart as soon as Simmons asked why the guys fighting on the ice reminded him of your dog."

Wash turned a bright scarlet and pushed his chair back from the table, excusing himself under the excuse of needing to use the bathroom. Carolina just grinned and continued eating, listening to Grif and Simmons continue to unravel Wash's horrible attempt at lying.

(b)

"Thanks for helping with the dishes," Carolina said, handing Simmons the last of the glasses to dry. He nodded at her as he took the glass from her, rubbing it down with a towel. Wash and Grif were out buying another pie to replace the one Grif had eaten.

"So what's going on with you and Wash? Are you guys together, or just friends? Because it sure seems like it's a little more than just friends, with the way he looks at you."

"Simmons—"

"You don't have to explain—I get that it's pretty complicated. He was trying to explain, but it's hard to get the subtleties at a hockey game." He glanced over at her as he set the glass on the counter, reaching up to adjust his glasses. "I was just curious. He's really into you; anyone with eyes can see that."

"Yeah, I know." She sighed and leaned forward against the edge of the sink, watching water droplets slide down stainless steel. "It _is_ complicated, and I don't know what to do. I met Wash first, but we didn't get into a relationship. York and I kinda fell into one, and it got really intense really quickly, but I decided I wanted to go to school out here without him. He was the first one to say I love you, and when we talked earlier this week, he says he _still_ loves me and wants to marry me."

"Was when you moved here around the time that Wash admitted he was crazy about you?" Simmons leaned with his back against the counter.

"Yeah, something like that. Before I moved out here he'd written me a letter, which of course I didn't find until last week, and that pretty much clued me into exactly how he'd been feeling. So, here we are."

"Have you two slept together?"

"Wow, since when are you so nosy? Besides, you already know the answer to that."

"Oh god, does that mean the sex salad was _real_?!" Simmons scrunched up his nose. "Man, I thought Wash was _kidding_ about that…"

"Again, we weren't _naked_ when we made it or anything!"

"Well, if you _did_ have sex, that would sort of imply that you're _together_, wouldn't it?"

Carolina shrugged, playing with a damp washrag in the sink. "I don't know," she admitted, twisting the fabric tightly enough to rid it of any moisture left. "I don't have any idea how I feel about any of this."

"Do you love Wash?"

"I don't know how to answer that."

"Okay, fine—do you _like_ Wash?"

"Yes. A lot."

"Do you still love this York guy?"

She remained silent and Simmons let out a low whistle. "I'm going to assume by the way you're strangling the towel that's a _yes_."

"Why are love and hate so closely related?"

"Because everything sucks." Simmons grinned, pushing himself away from the counter. "I've never had any luck in relationships, but I've sure learned over the years what _not_ to do. You don't tell a girl your honest opinion about her outfits, you don't play video games drunk until 2am when you promised her you'd meet her parents at dinner, and you always tell her that you think she looks beautiful, even if she's having a bad day."

"Definitely good advice on all three."

"Now, I haven't met York, and from what I've heard, I don't really _want_ to. But did he ever look at you the way Wash does? Because goddamn, that is one lovesick man right there, I'll tell you. Grif had that look for a while, this girl back in college who totally stomped on his heart and slept with everyone but him, even though they were supposedly dating. I've only known Wash for a week, but I really don't want to see him end up like Grif did; he doesn't deserve that."

"No…I know he doesn't."

"Also, you're _all_ he talked about at the game." Simmons rolled his eyes, flapping his hand to imitate talking. "Seriously, it was gross. If we're gonna ever take him anywhere else, you've _got_ to put a stop to the pining."

"How do you suggest doing that?"

"I don't know, talk to him?"

"He leaves Sunday and I don't know when I'll get to see him again."

"Then talk to him _soon_." Simmons pat her on the back and walked away to go sit on the couch, firing up the Xbox to start a new game. Carolina leaned against the island in the kitchen, running through the conversation again in her mind.

"Oh, one more thing," Simmons called out from the living room. She looked at him and he adjusted his glasses again, smiling. "Look at which one flew thousands of miles to see you. Just sayin'."

**Part 36**

Her fingers danced over Wash's chest as he lay propped up against the pillows, flipping through a magazine. His legs were bent at the knees under the covers and she was snuggled up against him, her legs threaded underneath the tented blanket.

"What's up?" he asked, folding the page of the magazine to mark his place before closing it, resting it against his legs.

"Nothing."

"I leave tomorrow; I don't want to do this 'waste time dancing around the issue' crap." Wash tossed the magazine to the floor and smiled down at her as she sat up a little more, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Sorry."

"It's fine. So what's up?"

"I want to talk about York."

She felt him cringe and exhale. "Okay."

"I'd like to be able to say his name without one of us getting upset. Can that be established first?"

"Yeah. Sorry. He just…I'm kind of on auto-defense mode about all this. Continue."

"Can I lay everything out on the table and just get everything out before you say anything?" Carolina asked, sitting up fully. She scooted a few inches away and pulled the blanket up over her waist as he nodded.

"Sure. I can't promise I won't stay completely quiet, but I'll try." He folded his hands on his lap and set his face in a stoic expression of concentration.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking since that conversation I had with him last week."

"The one after which you broke your phone."

"You said you'd let me talk," she lectured.

"No, I said I couldn't promise I'd stay quiet. But anyway, sorry."

"Yes, _that_ conversation. I didn't tell you, but he said he still loved me. And, well, I think part of me still loves him too. But that love is very closely linked to how much I hate him for everything he did, even though I know he did most of what he did out of love."

"Okay."

"But I've also been doing a lot of thinking about _you_ and what I want out of this. Simmons and I had an interesting talk the other night and he kind of forced me to look at some things in a different light. And I've decided that I want to give us another chance."

"Were we…were we _not_ in another chance until now?" Wash looked confused. "I mean, I know we haven't had sex since that afternoon, but—"

"No, I meant that I want to be fully invested," she interrupted, shaking her head. "This is going to sound terrible, but I think part of me was holding back because I was too afraid of what people would think."

"By 'people' do you mean York?"

"Yes."

"Hey, look at that, I said his name and didn't wince."

She cracked a smile. "I'm so proud of you."

"Is it my turn to talk now?"

"Sure."

Wash sat up, adjusting the pillows behind him so that he was sitting more upright. "Okay, first off, I want to apologize for that letter. That was a shitty way to admit my feelings and that wasn't how I wanted you to find out everything, but I suppose it _did_ get me an invitation out here, so I can write that one off." He grinned and shrugged his hands in the air. "Mark that one in the win column."

"It's okay. I appreciate you having the guts to tell me all of that."

"Hush, still talking." She stuck her tongue out at him and he raised an eyebrow at her. "Hey now. Anyway, I'm okay with you still being in love with him. I understand. Hell, I spent months in love with you and never said a word, so I get it."

"But _I'm_ not okay still being in love with him, especially if I want to give _us_ a chance."

"Do you remember what I said on Valentine's Day to him?"

(b)

_"No, I just need to say it. I wish you guys all the best, and I'm really happy you figured your shit out together. I really am. I just want to know that you're not going to hurt her."_

_ "I'm not going to hurt her, Wash. If anything, Lina is going to hurt _me_. I'm so ridiculously head over heels for her that it's only going to end in heartbreak or marriage."_

_"I'm glad you feel that way, because—and obviously I'm never going to say anything to her about this—but because if you ever do anything to hurt her, if you ever fuck up so colossally that she needs to get away from you, I _will_ step in, and I _will_ make her forget about you."_

(b)

"Yeah," Carolina said quietly, thinking back. There wasn't any chance she'd ever forget how he sounded when he'd talked to York. So confident, almost a completely different person.

"Well, I meant it. I'll make you forget about him. I'll _help_ you forget about him."

"I feel like that's not fair to _you_, Wash."

"It's fair because you're not asking me to do this. It's something I _want_ to do, but only if you're invested. If you want, I'll go home tomorrow and never bring up this week again."

"You would really do that?"

"I would _try_. You're not an easy person to get over, Carolina. I know York is still in love with you, and he probably always will be. Are you really not willing to give him another chance?"

Carolina frowned. "I can't say I haven't thought about it. The first few weeks I was here I wondered if I'd made the biggest mistake of my life, running off like that. But then he didn't call. And then _I_ never called. And sometimes I wondered if I could just tell him I'd changed my mind, but then I'd start thinking about how stressful it was, being in a relationship that was so one-sided near the end….I think I did the right thing."

"When was the first time you talked?"

"Sometime near the end of September. I called him because—actually, I can't even remember the reason anymore. We talked for maybe five minutes, and neither of us brought up anything that had happened."

"Was that the only time you talked?"

She shook her head. "We talked every couple of weeks. It was always me calling him, never the other way around. How often did you see him?"

Wash shrugged, picking at some lint on the blanket. "At first we all tried to act like nothing happened. About a week after you left, we all went and got a beer, and…it didn't go well."

"What happened?"

A small smile poked through his façade. "I kind of punched him. In the face."

"_What_?!"

"It wasn't entirely _my_ fault. North asked him how he was doing since you'd left, and he started in on how you said some line about not saying goodbye but he'd said it anyway, and I just sat there, listening to him go on and on about how he'd fucked up everything. Finally I told him he should either shut up or _do_ something about it, and he started poking me, like physically _hitting my shoulder_, saying that _I_ was the reason you left, because I was stalking you or some bullshit. North tried to calm him down, but then he said, and I quote, 'if you had never talked to her in the first place, she would have picked me and been happy.' So I punched him."

"In the face."

"Right in the scar." He shrugged half-heartedly, almost looking smug. "Normally I don't endorse violence but I was tired of being blamed for everything. I can't believe he never told you."

"We never talked about that stuff until last week. Even then I wasn't really willing to listen to anything he had to say."

"So with all this on the table, what do you want to do?" Wash reached over and lightly touched her hand.

"I don't know. I think I want to give us a chance, though."

"A real one? As in, a real relationship, with the kissing and the fighting and the sex and the talking every night on the phone?"

She giggled at the excitement in his voice. "Yeah, I think so."

"What about York?"

"I'll deal with my feelings about him in my own time, taking into consideration everything you've told me."

"Can I say one last thing?"

"Of course."

Wash laced his fingers in between hers, squeezing carefully. "I don't want you to hate him."

"What?"

"I mean, I want you two to be able to be in the same room together. I know that's not going to happen anytime soon, but…I still want him to be my friend, and I want to be with you. It's a lot to ask, but I want you two to get along again. Someday. If at all possible."

"I don't want to hate him," Carolina said quietly. "I really don't."

"I know." He moved his other hand to caress her cheek, stroking her cheekbone. "I love you, Carolina."

"Wash—"

He moved his thumb over her lips, silencing her. "You don't need to say anything. I know everything is a strange and I don't expect anything from you. Okay?" She nodded and he grinned, scooting forward as he moved his thumb away, kissing her gently.

(b)

"Final boarding call for Flight 479 to Los Angeles, California."

"I don't want to go," Wash whined, clutching his carry-on luggage with his free hand as he held the phone to his ear. "Can't I stay another week? Or month? I'll pay rent!"

She laughed on the other end of the line, and he could hear the security machines beeping around her. "No, Wash, you can't stay. We both have work and I'm behind in my homework again. Besides, I'm coming there for Christmas. You just have to hold out for a few more weeks."

"But that's so far _away_—"

"Wash, go get on the damn plane so I can go home. Call me when you land, okay?"

He pouted, even though she couldn't see him. "_Fine_. I'll talk to you soon."

"Later, Wash."

"Not soon enough, Lina."

He could hear her laughing as she hung up and he shoved his phone in his pocket, turning to look at the angry flight attendant tapping her watch, glaring at him. He grinned and ran into the boarding tunnel, ignoring the woman's shouts for him to walk, not run.


	20. Chapter 20

**Part 37**

Winter in New York was _shitty_.

The weather turned right after Thanksgiving, becoming slushy as it half-snowed, half-rained most days, while the sun mostly hid behind dank clouds, taunting the city with occasional rays of sunshine that lasted for ten minutes at a time. Carolina spent most of her days inside, bundled up in a blanket as she complained that she missed the constant sunshine of home.

"Hey, look outside," Grif said one evening, pointing towards the window as he and Grif made dinner for the three of them.

"Too cold," Carolina grumbled from the table, trusty blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she concentrated on a sketch.

"Just go _look_, bitch."

'Bitch' had taken on sort of a friendly tone between the two of them, almost as though it replaced the word 'buddy' in their mental dictionaries, or most often, their actual names. "Fine," she grumbled, putting down her pencil as she slid out of the chair, firmly pulling the blanket around her shoulders to trap in the heat. She walked over to the window and stared outside. "What am I looking at?"

"Do you really not see it?"

She stared harder, focusing on the cityscape unfolding outside their window. Something was blurring the horizon and she pulled back, letting her eyes readjust. Small snowflakes came into view and she let out a gasp—it was the first real snow she'd seen since winter started. Usually it was more rain-based and looked gross as soon as it hit the pavement.

"Oh my _god_, it's _snowing_! Really snowing!"

An arm was around her shoulders a moment later and she looked to her right to see Simmons standing next to her, smiling. "I love snow," he said. "Is this the first time you've ever seen it?"

"I was born and raised in California, so yes," she answered, her eyes wide with amazement.

Simmons chuckled as Grif came over to stand on her other side. "Welcome to winter in New York, Carolina," Grif said, nudging her with his elbow. She continued staring out the window, wishing that Wash was there to see it.

(b)

"Lina, of _course_ I've seen snow, I lived in Colorado—god, _stop it_, you're gonna make me _sick!_"

She set down the laptop, having spent the last few minutes trying to angle the camera towards the window for a shot of the nearly-transparent snowflakes. "Sorry, I'm just really excited," she said, sitting down at the desk. Wash was shaking his head, but was smiling.

"You're adorable when you're overexcited," he said, pointing directly at the camera to mimic poking her nose. She scrunched up her face in response.

"Shut up."

"I'm sad I'm missing it though." He leaned back in his chair, glancing over to where his window was, the sunlight streaming through it. "God, it's not even night time yet. You're killing me; I still have so much work to do before meeting up with everyone."

"Yeah? What's going on tonight?" It was the middle of the second week in December; not a notable time to be having a party or anything, she thought.

"I don't really know. York actually called everyone, even Dakota and CT, and wants us all to come over."

"And you're _going_? When was the last time you saw him?"

"Uh, the night I punched him?" Wash looked slightly sick, his face more pale than usual. "Shit. I wonder if he's plotting to poison me or something."

"So he still doesn't know about…us?"

He shook his head. "Only North and Maine know. Well, I told North everything, and he probably told Maine."

She frowned. "What do you mean by 'everything' and should I be worried?"

Wash laughed. "No, no, I mean, I told him about the visit, and we talked about some stuff. It's good to get his input, since he's known York longer than either of us. Don't worry; I kept the private stuff to myself. Like how you like it when I lick—"

"Bitch, get over to the dinner table, I'm _starving_," Grif said, walking into her room without knocking. She jumped and whirled around, trying to find the mute button on her laptop.

"—because _damn_, the way you moan my name when—oh, hi Grif," Wash said, waving as he stepped into view behind Carolina.

"Hey Wash. I'm gonna steal your girlfriend for dinner, okay?" Grif leaned down and pinched Carolina's cheek, grinning.

"Okay, just don't traumatize her too badly," Wash replied. "Hey, I gotta go anyway. I'll call you after the get-together, okay?"

"Hopefully it's not too late. I have work in the morning."

"Okay, I'll text you first. Night, Lina. See ya, Grif."

"See ya, Wash." They watched as he signed off and the screen flickered back to her desktop picture of the L.A. skyline. "Come _on_, I'm _starving_!" he whined, draping himself over her back.

"Oh, get _off_ of me," she scowled, pushing him away.

"Aw, don't be like that—I bet _I_ could make you moan _my_—"

"_GRIF_!"

(b)

Hours later, Carolina was half-asleep, her phone plugged into the charger on her nightstand. The clock read 1am, and she groaned, knowing she wasn't going to be able to sleep until she talked to Wash. It had become a bedtime ritual, even though he was usually eating dinner by the time she was going to sleep.

Her phone beeped and she eagerly reached over to check the messages. It was just her email alerting her that a bill was coming due next week, and she slammed the phone back onto the table, rolling over to try to sleep.

She was eating lunch in the school cafeteria the next day when her phone finally beeped with a text message from North, asking if she was free to talk. Setting down her sandwich, she dialed his number and waited for him to pick up.

"Hey," North's friendly voice greeted. "Are you busy?"

"Just eating lunch. What's going on?"

"I was just wondering if you'd heard from Wash. Maybe last night, or this morning." He sounded worried, which was making _her_ worried.

"No, he said he was going over to York's place with all you guys, and then I never heard from him. What's going on?" she repeated, realizing her fingers were digging into her thigh.

"We just haven't seen him since last night. I'm sure he's fine."

"What happened?"

"Nothing," North said, a little too rushed. "Hey, you're still coming home for the holidays, right?"

"Yeah, I'm coming home on the 22nd. North, you're freaking me out. Where's Wash?"

"See, that's the thing—we don't _know_."

"_What_?"

"After dinner, he got really upset and left, and hasn't gotten back to any of us since. And he's not at his apartment, and obviously not with us, and didn't go into work today."

"What the hell _happened_ last night?"

She heard North talk to the side of the phone, assuming it was Maine growling on the other end. When he came back to the speaker, he sounded a little less stressed as he said "He finally texted Maine back. We're gonna go pick him up, he's at some restaurant."

"Okay, I'll try to call him—"

"Actually, Lina, I wouldn't."

She stared down at her half-eaten sandwich. "Why not?"

"Just trust me on this, okay? Please?"

"Why won't you tell me what happened last night?"

"Because it's not my place to tell you. Just…wait for Wash to call _you_."

"Fine."

"Later." North hung up the phone and she scowled at his picture onscreen as it faded away.

**Part 38**

Carolina walked home from the grocery store later that night, carrying a plastic bag with some shampoo and conditioner in it, settled next to a bag of cookies already noted for stress-eating. She _still_ hadn't heard from Wash, and was getting anxious, trying to resist the urge to call him.

She felt her phone vibrate in her coat pocket as she raced across the street, narrowly missing getting run over by a cabbie that wasn't paying attention to pedestrians. Finally safe on the other side of the street she pulled out the phone and saw she'd missed the call already. Clicking on the alert revealed that York was the one who had called.

Carolina frowned. Why the hell was _York_ calling her? Hadn't they yelled at each other enough the _last_ time? Deciding to ignore it, she put the phone back in her pocket and kept walking, increasing her speed since the sun had gone down and it was getting chilly. Her pocket vibrated again a few minutes later and she withdrew the phone, seeing York's picture smiling at her on the screen. She hit the ignore button and sighed, not at all in the mood to deal with any of his crap.

Him calling a third time less than five minutes later finally forced her to answer with a brusque "_What_, York?"

"Ignoring my calls now?"

"The first, no. The second, yes. What do you want?"

York sighed heavily into the phone. "When are you coming home for Christmas?"

"How did you know—"

"Dakota, you dumbass. There _are_ some of our friends who still talk to _both_ of us."

"Right." Her cheeks were burning, offsetting some of the freezing winter chill. "Next week, the 22nd. Thursday."

"Can I request some of your precious time to see you?"

"Phrasing it like that is really _not_ making me want to say yes."

"Carolina, _please_. I'd like to see you while you're in town."

"Then yes, I can probably make time."

"Good."

"Are you going to tell me what happened last night?"

"What do you mean?"

She shook her head, wanting to reach through the phone to smack him. "What did you guys all talk about that made Wash so upset?"

"Honestly, I have no idea what you're talking about. How did you know we all hung out last night?"

"_Some_ of our friends still talk to _both_ of us," she mimicked. "North, in particular."

"Oh. Well, I haven't seen him since dinner last night, so I don't know if he's upset or not. I didn't think he'd have a _reason_ to be, but it's Wash. He's weird sometimes."

"Right. Well, I guess I'll see you next week. I'll let you know when I'm free."

"Can we just make a plan now, so I can be assured that you won't back out on me?"

"_God_. Fine, how about Friday night?"

"Can we make it Saturday?"

"Christmas Eve, _really_?"

"Did you already have plans?"

She didn't want to say 'Yeah, probably with Wash since we're dating,' instead going with "Nothing definite yet. I guess if we make it early, that's okay."

"Great. So I'll see you on Saturday. About four o'clock? Is that early enough for you?"

"Okay. Should I meet you somewhere?"

"Yeah, come by our—my place," he corrected quickly. "I'll be ready then. Oh, I never asked, how was Wash's visit?"

"Really? _That's_ what you're going to ask, after that massive fight we had?"

"All right, fine. I'll see you then."

"See ya." She hung up and stared at her phone, torn between annoyance and curiosity.

(b)

"It's me again. I'm getting really worried. Please call me back. I know you're around, North told me you were at their place last night. Just talk to me, Wash, please? I'll try you again later."

Two days later and he still wasn't calling her back, or responding to any texts. North had texted her late the previous night to say Wash was at their place, but not to try calling. Somehow she'd managed to keep herself from calling or texting, but as night rolled into late morning and she _still_ hadn't heard from him, she was beyond fed up.

She hung up and set the phone on the table, going into the kitchen for a snack. No one was home; it was mid-day, so Grif and Simmons were both at work, and she was officially on winter break so she had nowhere to be.

Carolina had just settled onto the couch with a bowl of soup and a movie starting in the Xbox when her phone rang. She grabbed for it quickly, nearly spilling her soup, and answered it before the second ring.

"Wash? What the hell _happened_ to you?"

"Hey, Lina." He sounded like he hadn't slept in days. Which was completely possible, she realized.

"Are you okay? I thought maybe—"

"Did York already talk to you?"

She'd been all set to launch into an epic speech about not ditching her like that ever again, but stopped. "Yeah. We're getting together on Christmas Eve for a bit, he said he wanted to see me."

"Okay."

"Wash, what the _fuck_ is going on? You said you'd call me after that dinner with everyone, and then you go missing and don't talk to me for _days_ and I can only get vague updates from North."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. Look, dinner didn't go well, and I just…needed some time to myself, that's all."

"Some time to—oh my god, are you _kidding_ me? Wash, you can't just disappear on me like that!"

"I'm really sorry, Lina." He almost sounded like he was close to tears, but she couldn't tell over the noise of the television in the background, wherever he was.

"Are you at home?"

"Yeah. Maine finally kicked me out. He said I needed to spend some time with Epsilon because he was tired of North having to go feed him and coming home covered in cat fur."

She softened a bit at that, smiling. "I miss that little guy. How is he?"

"Maine? Still big and scary."

"_Epsilon_, you dumbass."

Wash chuckled. "Still small and cuddly. Though he's getting bigger—now he can jump up onto the bed without me having to pick him up."

"So he's getting into more stuff now, huh?"

"Yeah. Pretty much nothing is safe."

"Are you going to tell me what happened, or are we going to dance around it the entire conversation? Because my soup is getting cold."

She heard him move around and exhale slowly, probably lying down on his bed. "I don't really know what to say. I overreacted, that's all."

"What did York want?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Wash, come on. We've talked about this sort of thing—I want us to be honest with each other, on the same page and all."

"No, I _know_. But I still can't tell you. Can you trust me on this?"

"I don't know."

"Lina, it's just—seriously, I _want_ to tell you, but I _can't_. It's complicated. It's something you're going to have to make a decision about, and just…I love you, okay?"

She frowned. "What are you talking about? Decision about—"

"_I love you_, Lina, you know that, right?"

"Yes, I do."

"Good." She waited a moment and heard Epsilon purring through the phone. "Your flight gets in around noon on Thursday, right? I'm taking the day off to get you." His tone was suddenly worlds lighter, almost cheery.

"Uh…yeah, 12:15, something like that. I can't wait to see you."

"I've missed you more."

"Oh, we're not doing this again." She smiled as she lay down on the couch, ignoring her already-cooled soup. "I've missed _you_ more."

"I've got a lot planned for us. You're not gonna even get to rest during the next two weeks."

"I look forward to it," Carolina said, mentally trying to figure out what he could have possibly meant by her needing to make a decision. "I'm very glad I get to spend Christmas with you, Wash."

"I am too. I love you so much." Wash sounded tired and she knew he needed to sleep, even if it was only 11:13 in the morning there, confirmed with a quick glance at the second clock she'd put next to the television for such a reason.

"You should take a nap, sweetie."

"No, I'm fine." He was already nodding off, she could tell. "I just wanted to hear your voice."

"Well, you've heard it, so go to sleep."

"_You _go to sleep."

"Good night, Wash."

"Fine, I'll take a little nap." Wash yawned into the phone. "Love you, Lina."

"I love you too, Wash."

The line went silent as he probably passed out. She waited about thirty seconds to make sure he wasn't going to say anything else, and then hung up the phone, setting it beside her head on the couch. Staring up at the ceiling, it wasn't until a full minute later she realized what she'd said.

(b)

Déjà vu hit Carolina as she stepped off the plane, following her seatmates into the tunnel leading to the gate exit. Her backpack was slung over her shoulder, her laptop secured snugly inside in its padded case. She felt like crap in her jeans and rather worn-down teal sweater (she'd had it since senior year of college and refused to give it up no matter how many times Dakota tried to burn it, claiming it was a fashion disaster), but had at least tried to pull her hair back to look slightly more attractive. She hadn't seen Wash since his Thanksgiving trip and would have put more effort into looking fantastic, but knew she'd be sitting on the plane for hours and had given up on the idea as soon as she'd gotten into the shower.

"_Lina_!"

As soon as she exited the tunnel and got out into the gate area she heard her name being shouted excitedly. Looking around, she saw Wash standing in front of the large crowd of people waiting for their loved ones to arrive. He was waving his arms and grinning like a madman and she found herself unable to stop from smiling, rushing over to meet him.

"Wash!"

She leapt into his arms and he kissed her passionately, slipping his tongue over hers as she tightened her grip around him, fighting the urge to drag him into the nearest bathroom. One of his hands wound itself into her hair while the other held her around the waist, his nails digging into her sweater tightly enough that she could feel the heat from his hand on her back.

"Jesus, I didn't know this was going to turn into a porno shoot," she heard someone say to their left. She pulled her head back enough to see Dakota rolling her eyes, her hands on her hips.

"Dakota! What are you doing here?" Carolina let go of Wash and ignored his loud groan of frustration as she hugged her best friend, grinning.

"I _thought_ I'd be _nice_ and come with Wash to get you, but I didn't realize it was going to be _this_ gross." Dakota hugged her tightly. "I've missed you, even though you never call me, bitch."

"We just talked the other day!"

"I know, just teasing. Here, go back to your boy toy." Dakota let go of her and gestured towards Wash. Instantly she was back in his arms, his familiar warmth at her back as he kissed her neck lightly.

"Come on, let's go home," Wash whispered into her ear. She shivered and pressed herself against him, giggling to herself as she felt him fidget uncomfortably.

(b)

Dakota waved at them from the front door to her and CT's apartment building and they waved back, all smiles until she was inside. As soon as she was out of sight, Wash was practically climbing over the center console of the car, pressing his lips to hers as though they had to or one of them would die.

"Hang on," she managed to gasp, her hands already up underneath his sweater, having a mind of their own. "This would really work much better in a bed."

"But we have to go see North and Maine, I promised," Wash groaned, his hands fumbling at her jeans button. "C'mon, gimme five minutes here and we'll make it a quick visit with them and then I'll have you home in two hours, I swear—maybe ten minutes instead—"

"_Wash_," she said, leaning back. "There's no way we'd get this done in five or ten minutes in the _car_. Secondly, I really need a shower before we do anything. I feel gross from the plane."

Wash let out a low growl that lasted the entirety of them fixing their clothes and him starting the car again. "Fucking _friends_," he muttered, pulling back out onto the street to head towards North's apartment.

(b)

"Oh my god, _Lina_!" North ran forward and picked her up off the sidewalk, swinging her around. "I've missed you _so much_!"

Maine was standing nearby, smiling at her as North set her down. "I've missed you too," she grinned, hugging him tightly. "And you too, Maine," she called out, seeing him open his arms for a hug. She went over a second later and snuggled against him, his strong arms embracing her with a tight squeeze.

"Glad to have you home," he said quietly, and she nodded.

"Glad to _be_ home."

"I made lunch, let's go eat," North said, pulling her away from Maine to push her up the steps. Wash bounded past them and held open the door, with Maine coming inside last, nodding at Wash.

(b)

"So what are your plans for your visit?" North asked, offering Carolina more water. She declined with a shake of her head and finished chewing her bite of chicken salad.

"I don't know, Wash has some stuff planned but is being all secretive about it."

North raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

Wash laughed, nodding. "Yeah, I've got some stuff planned, but most of it was for the first few hours she was back."

"First few—oh, come _on_." North grinned. "Can't even wait, can you?"

"Nope!"

Carolina coughed uncomfortably. "Are you guys doing anything for Christmas or New Year's?"

"Did Wash not tell you yet?" North asked. "We're hosting a New Year's party this year and doing a whole theme thing."

"Winter Wonderland," Maine said, sounding as though he'd lost a major argument.

"Oh, _wow_." Carolina started to laugh, cutting herself off when North glared at her. "That sounds _awesome_," she added quickly.

"I thought it'd be a fun excuse to dress up," North grumbled, stabbing a piece of chicken with his fork.

"I didn't bring any nice clothes though," Carolina said with a frown. "I guess I'll have to go shopping."

"I'll take you."

She looked at Maine, whose eyes were shining in a way she'd never seen before. "Uh…really?"

"I would love to take you. I need a break from North."

"Okay, it's a date." She smiled and Maine happily ate a forkful of salad as he practically bounced in his chair, which was an odd sight.

"Have either of you talked to York yet?" Wash asked, reaching under the table to squeeze Carolina's hand.

North shrugged. "Not since last night. He knows Carolina's in town sometime today."

"Do you think I should call him?" she asked. "I'm supposed to be seeing him on Saturday."

North exchanged a _look_ with Wash, who squeezed her hand a little more tightly. "No, I think he can wait," North said, and she caught a similar look passed between him and Maine. "I think he's busy anyway, he said he wouldn't be around much until after Christmas."

"Oh. Okay." She shrugged and smiled at Wash. "I'm pretty full. Do you want to get going?"

"_Yes_."

"Thanks for lunch, you guys," she said as the two of them stood up. "I was going to get dinner with the girls, but you're welcome to come along."

"Nah, we'll just see you sometime," North declined. "Thanks though."

"Okay enough chit-chat let's _go_," Wash whined, grabbing at her arm. She swatted him away and wagged a finger at him.

"_You_ can _wait_," she said. "I want to say goodbye _properly_—"

"It's okay," North interrupted, waving them away. "Please, go fornicate somewhere _other_ than our clean apartment. By _all_ means."

Wash dragged her out of the apartment as she protested, while North and Maine laughed as they started cleaning up the dishes.

(b)

They weren't even inside Wash's apartment before he pushed her up against the hallway wall next to the door, biting her earlobe as one hand dug for his keys in his pocket, the other immediately reaching for her jeans button, expertly unhooking it as she dug her nails into his back, letting out a small moan.

"Inside," she insisted, and he groaned, finally finding the right key and managing to get the door unlocked. They pushed inside and ignored the irritated cries of Epsilon as they tripped over a box lid he'd been sleeping inside near the door. Wash slid his hands down her back and gripped her ass, hoisting her off the floor. She locked her legs around his waist as he walked them towards the bedroom, biting at her bottom lip as they kissed.

Once they reached the bedroom he pushed her up against a wall and angled their bodies so he could support them with one hand on the wall, the other frantically unbuttoning his own jeans to push them down around his hips.

"I _really_ regret only having sex the one time," he growled, moving his hand from the wall to hold underneath her thigh once more, trying to get them closer to the bed.

"You have no idea how hard I agree," Carolina agreed between desperate kisses, licking along his jaw.

"Oh, I get how _hard_," he grinned, and she laughed as he set her on the bed, pushing up between her legs before she unwrapped them from his waist. They continued kissing as she grabbed fistfuls of his shirt, pulling it up towards his head. He pulled away and ripped it off as she pulled off her sweater, sitting up to lick his stomach, kissing near his waist. "You're _killing me_," he said as she looked up at him, laughing.

"Then get _down here_," she replied, wrapping her hands around his cheeks to pull him towards her, locking him down with a kiss. He moaned appreciatively and she smiled against his lips, wishing they hadn't had to spend so much time apart before then.

(b)

Wash mumbled something against her stomach as he traced patterns over her skin, the sheet a jumbled mess around their legs. She was propped up against the pillows, her eyes closed as she caught her breath.

"What?"

"Yeah, that was _much_ better the second time," he repeated, looking up at her. She laughed, reaching down to ruffle his already-messed hair.

"Yes, yes it was."

"Probably because it wasn't all…_awkward_ and stuff." Wash wiggled his hand at the word 'awkward' for emphasis.

"Yeah, that was probably it." She tugged on his hair and he scooted up the bed to angle his head towards her for a kiss.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Wash said, settling against her stomach again, draping an arm over her hips.

"Sure."

"Why did you say you loved me last week, but then never said it again? Did you mean it?" A moment of awkward silence passed and he chuckled. "You thought I was asleep, didn't you."

"…Maybe."

"At first I thought maybe I was dreaming, but then I heard you hang up the phone and I realized I was still awake. Did you mean it?"

Carolina was dumbfounded and had no idea what to say. She'd wrestled with herself after hanging up that night, trying to figure out if she really _had_ meant it or not. "I…I think I did."

"_Think_ you did?"

"I mean, it's complicated. We've barely just started dating, and—well, I really really _like_ you but I don't know—"

"Shh, Lina, I get it." He kissed her stomach and looked up at her, his eyes half-closed in satisfaction. "It's really okay. I don't want you to feel pressured to say anything back to me, I swear."

"I do, though."

"I know."

"I just…It's hard to say."

"I know."

"You don't really care, do you?"

"Not even a little bit right now." Wash closed his eyes and snuggled against her bare skin, letting out a content sigh.

**Part 39**

"Damn, Lina, could you at least _try_ to look less desirable?" Wash complained from the floor of the bathroom doorway, watching her as she got ready to meet York.

Carolina glanced down at herself and frowned. All she really had was jeans and sweaters, so she had on a lavender long-sleeved shirt that tapered around her waist, emphasizing her hips in her skinny jeans and black ankle boots with little silver buckles on the back (she'd found them on clearance and about died at how adorable they were, buying them instantly, screw her share of the water bill that week). Her hair was loose around her shoulders, naturally waving around her face. She had minimal makeup on as usual, just some eyeliner and a touch of mascara.

"I swear, I'm not _trying_ to look good," she muttered, half-flattered as she worried that maybe she should change.

"I guess it's just impossible with you," Wash said, standing up. He swept her up into a big hug and they shared a deep kiss before he smacked her on the ass, grinning. "You better go or you're gonna be late."

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" she asked, breaking away from him to grab her purse from the couch.

"I guess. I'm still a little…wary about everything, but…it needs to be done, I guess."

"Cryptic much?" She frowned at Wash, who shrugged in return.

"Call me or come home as soon as you're done," he said, pulling her into a final hug before she left. "I love you, sweets."

"I know," she said, snuggling against his chest.

"Now go. Go!" He grinned, kissing her on the cheek.

"Fine, fine, I'm going. See you soon!"

"I'll be right here waiting," he said, walking over to the couch to settle in. She waved and left, wondering just what was going to be in store for her.

(b)

A feeling started to grow in the pit of her stomach as she drove Wash's car towards her old apartment building, not sure if it was anxiety about seeing York again or just pure dread. Whatever it was it was making her uneasy as she guided the car past a few familiar turns, seeing the old apartment building suddenly looming in front of her. She'd just been there two days earlier visiting North and Maine, but that was different.

_They_ didn't have enough baggage to fill a subway car.

She parked in front of the building and got out of the car, locking it as she looked around. Part of her had expected to see York waiting outside for her, but no one was around. She walked up the steps and went inside, walking the too-familiar path to the old apartment.

The hallway seemed to stretch on forever as she approached the door, raising her hand to knock on the worn wood. Seconds later the door swung open and she was face to face with York, who was smiling at her.

She really hated to admit that he looked _good_. Maybe she'd been hoping he was a wreck, or something; but no, he was in black slacks and a deep blue long-sleeved button up shirt, a black tie loose around his neck. His face was free of stubble and the smile on his face emphasized the healthy flush in his cheeks.

"Carolina."

"York."

He gestured for her to come in and she stepped over the threshold, smiling at him. Unconsciously her hand was at her hair, checking to make sure it hadn't tangled, and he shut the door behind her, walking over to the bathroom.

"I just need another minute," he called over his shoulder. She made a noise of understanding and inspected the interior of the place from her vantage point of the entryway. Not a lot had changed; a few framed pictures were on the walls instead of previously having held her art, and there was a new chair in the living room, angled towards the television. The kitchen sink held a bunch of dishes but the rest of the place was mostly clean, not looking a lot different than before she'd left.

A couple of cardboard boxes were near the front door, she noticed as she turned in a small circle, and upon further inspection recognized one of her shirts tucked beside a few DVD cases. She reached down and picked it up, frowning. It looked like both boxes had things that used to belong to her, as well as some stuff she didn't recognize, like a small bottle of sand with a red ribbon around the neck. She lifted it out of the box and tilted it, watching the delicate particles shift inside the thick glass.

"Oh, sorry, that's—you know, don't worry about that stuff," York said, interrupting her staring contest with the sand. He reached out to take it from her and their fingers brushed against each other. Her heart skipped a beat as he set the bottle back in the box. She tossed the shirt back as well and shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans.

"So what are we doing?" Carolina asked, trying to avoid eye contact.

"I have a little surprise for you," York replied, adjusting his tie that was now secured around his neck. "Come on, I'll drive us."

"Okay." She opened the door and stepped into the hallway, watching as he locked the door behind them. They started walking and easily fell into step together, keeping a few inches of space between them.

"You look fantastic," York said quietly as they left the building, jingling his keys nervously in his hand.

"Thank you. You look really great yourself."

"You thought I was going to be a mess, didn't you?"

Carolina laughed, and it felt good. "Honestly, yes. I was kind of hoping you would be."

"Oh, that's not nice."

She snuck at look at him and saw that he was smiling. "I know. Sorry."

"I was kind of hoping you'd be a mess too," he admitted, pointing to where his car was parked along the street. "I guess that didn't happen. Are you good? You look good."

"Yeah, I think I'm good. Are you?"

"I'm getting there."

They climbed into his car and he started the engine, pulling out into traffic a moment later. Neither of them spoke as he drove, pretending to be more interested in the scenery and traffic outside. She realized he was driving them through the city but didn't recognize the area.

"Where are we going?" she finally asked, seeing that they were surrounded by expensive-looking townhomes that were beginning to look vaguely familiar. The uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach returned as he reached over and rested a hand on her knee.

"We're almost there," he said, taking a right turn onto another street, then a left. Finally he parked the car and stopped the engine, getting out of the car. He came around to open her door and helped her out onto the sidewalk.

"York, what is this? Where are we?"

He pointed up at one of the townhomes, painted a light yellow with white trim. She cocked her head, trying to pinpoint why it was so familiar. "This was going to be our home," he said, standing next to her. As she wrapped her head around the revelation she felt his fingers thread between hers, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"This…this is the townhome?"

"Was," he corrected. "Don't worry, someone else lives here now. I just wanted to show you."

"Oh." Carolina sniffled, biting her lower lip to fend off a sudden wave of emotions.

"Come on, there's something else." He pulled her down the sidewalk and she walked with him, still holding his hand. They walked another block and turned a corner. She stopped dead in her tracks as York let go of her hand, walking ahead of her.

"What the fuck is _that_?" she managed to say as she tried to make sense of the scene before her.

A large carriage was sitting in the middle of the street, attached to two beautiful, tall white horses that were patiently waiting to get going. An older man was sitting behind them, holding the reins, decked out in a suit and top hat, which was tilted her direction as she approached. York was standing next to the side of the carriage, his arm outstretched towards her.

"Ladies first," he said with a grin. Still overwhelmed, she took his hand and climbed into the carriage, watching as he got in after her and settled next to her on the bench.

"Are we ready?" the driver asked. York told him where they were going and reached down as the carriage started to move, picking up a blanket from underneath the bench. He draped it over her legs and snuggled in next to her.

It was an unusually warm winter day, but she was still grateful for the blanket and body heat. They were the only things she could focus on as she felt like she was going to faint. "York, what's all this about?" she finally asked after they'd ridden a few blocks.

"I wanted to do something nice for you after everything that happened," he replied, smiling at her. "Don't you like it?"

"I _do_, it's just…random. And kind of overwhelming, considering the last couple times we've talked we've ended up screaming at each other."

"I know." His hands were on hers underneath the blanket; her mind was yelling at her to move away, but it felt nice. It felt…_familiar_. "I thought this would be a nice change of pace."

"Yeah, I guess it is. Thanks."

"I have to admit, I _do_ have an ulterior motive though," he added, letting go of her hands to reach underneath the bench again. "I got you a gift. It's not really a Christmas gift, it's more of a…'sorry for fucking things up so badly' gift."

"You really didn't have to get me any—what is _this_?"

He was holding out a bottle of Pepto Bismol, a smile stretching from ear to ear. "It's pretty much what it looks like."

Carolina took it, inspecting the bottle. It had a blue ribbon tied in a small bow around the neck. "Uh. Okay, so I get _what_ it is, obviously, but I'm missing the _why_."

"So there's kind of a story to go along with this." York leaned back against the back of the seat, folding his hands in his lap. "I wanted to get you something that would remind you of all the good times that we had, but I couldn't think of something that would have that much meaning to us."

"And you landed on bright pink goo?"

"I'm getting there. I thought about the first time we kissed, when you fainted, but I couldn't remember what towel I was using that day. Dakota suggested a bottle of wine, like at her birthday party, but that seemed too generic, and I didn't like CT's idea of a photo album because that seemed even _more_ generic."

"You asked for help?"

"Yeah, a few weeks ago. I had everyone come over for dinner and asked for ideas on what I could get you."

Realizations were dawning on her. "What was Wash's idea?"

"You actually saw it earlier, that bottle of sand. It's filled with sand from the beach we went to on New Year's last year."

She felt a tear slide down her cheek but quickly wiped it away. "So why this? Why not the sand?"

York sighed. "Because that almost felt like _too_ grand a gesture. I've sort of figured out you don't really care for big things like that. Besides, _this_ idea was all mine. Do you remember the first time I told you I loved you?"

(b)

_"Because even though you're sick, and throwing up, and it smells totally awful in here, and we won't have a fancy dinner, it doesn't even matter."_

_"Of course it does! Our first Valentine's Day together and I'm a fucking mess—"_

_"I love you."_

_"York, I—"_

_"I know this isn't the best place or time, because fuck if I meant to tell you something this important in the fucking bathroom, but that's just how much I love you. I don't even care where we are, Lina, the important thing is that I'm with you and I love you. I just wanted you to know that."_

(b)

Carolina nodded, finally figuring it out. "This is really sweet," she said softly, running her fingers along the curvature of the bottle.

"Oh thank _god_, I was afraid you weren't going to get it."

"No, I do. Thank you."

"Lina, I need to tell you something." York's tone was suddenly serious and she set the bottle in her lap, looking at him.

"I'm listening."

He took her hands in his, caressing her palms as he took a deep breath, looking at her with a sort of passion in his eyes that she recognized instantly.

"I really messed things up between us. I pushed you too fast and I really regret that. I just fell so hard for you that I honestly couldn't see why that was bad, because _you_ were all that I could see. _You_ were all that I wanted. You make me so happy that I don't even know who I am without you. I know I pushed too much with the house and not being supportive of New York at first, but I want you to know that I've been thinking about so many things since we've been apart. I want to work on our life together, and I want to be with you. I still love you so much, nothing has changed except for how far apart we are, and we can _fix_ that. I'm willing to do _anything_ to get you back, Lina. I'll move for you, I want to marry you; I'll do _anything_ if you'll just consider giving me one last chance. One chance, babe. That's all I ask."

Carolina stared down at their hands, noticing new callouses and cracks in his skin, probably from recent work. "York…"

"You don't have to decide right now. I know this is a lot to process. But you're here for a few weeks, and what better time than to try again, right? It's Christmas, all of our friends are here, they're all supportive—"

"York, I can't—"

"I'm not asking to go back to the way things were. I know we can't just go back—things need to change. _I_ need to change, but I want to change _with _you." He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, and she closed her eyes, feeling tears drip onto her hands. He pulled away a few seconds later, nuzzling against her cheek. "We can get _us_ back, babe. Give me a chance to prove it."

"Wash and I are together," she whispered.

One of the horses whinnied loudly as York pulled away, unable to look at her. Silent tears hit the blanket as they rode, and a chill passed through her as his hand moved away at last, exposing her skin to the cool wind that had begun to blow around them.


	21. Chapter 21

**Part 40**

"So, by together…you mean _together_."

"Yes."

York dipped his head and covered his face with his hands, letting out a soft moan. "So when I asked you how Wash's trip went and you didn't want to tell me…it was because you two were _already_ together. _Together_ together."

"It happened because of the trip. I mean, the trip happened because—it's confusing, York. I don't know how to really explain it."

"No, I get it." He didn't move. "Never wanting to talk about you. Not wanting to be around me after he got back from his trip. The fucking _sand_ idea—he betrayed _me_ and went after _you_. He never wanted you to have the chance to take me back. Man, all this time, I really thought we were _friends_."

"You _are_," Carolina insisted.

"You're an _idiot_ if you think that's true," York snapped, sliding his hands up into his hair, gripping the strands. "There's no fucking way I ever want to even _look_ at him again, much less _talk_ to him."

"This wasn't because of anything _you_ did. Wash and I…it's different. It's not like you and me."

"If you think this is helping you're _wrong_," he muttered.

"York, _listen_ to me. He never did anything behind your back. This all happened _after_ you and I broke up."

York finally turned to look at her; his face was red with what she assumed was humiliation, or just anger. "It doesn't matter _when_ it happened. The point is that Wash still fucked me over and _stole_ you from me."

"I wasn't _yours_ to _steal_!" Carolina said in an exasperated tone, feeling the carriage stop. They were back where they had started, and the driver was looking back at them with an awkward expression.

"Uh…the ride is done," he said, tipping his hat in their direction. "Unless you'd like to go around again—"

"_No_!" York and Carolina exclaimed at the same time. York grabbed the blanket off of them and shoved it under the bench, climbing out of the carriage. She picked up the bottle of Pepto Bismol that had fallen to the floor and got out after him, watching him stomp down the street. Praying that he'd paid for the carriage ride _ahead_ of time, she ran after him, her boots clicking along the cement.

"York, please wait!"

"You should go home," he called back over his shoulder, not slowing down as she got close to catching up.

"_You drove_!"

He stopped suddenly and she smacked into him, stumbling back a few steps. A second later he dropped to his knees and smashed his left fist into the sidewalk, letting out a yell.

"_How could you two do this to me_?" he shouted, holding his now-bleeding hand with his other one. He sat down on the pavement and looked up at her, his face twisted in a grimace of pain and sadness. "What did I _do_ to you that made you run to _him_? Does he _kiss_ you better? Does he _fuck_ you better?"

Carolina knelt down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "York, it's nothing you did. I _swear_. It just…it just wasn't our time, okay? We moved too quickly and it didn't work out. We wanted different things. That's all."

"You promised me something, a long time ago."

"I remember."

"Can you…" York sagged into her hand, looking up at her. "Can you promise me again?"

She nodded. "If that's what you need."

"It is."

"Then I promise."

He nodded. "I'll take you home," he said, sounding broken and defeated. She helped him to his feet and he handed her the keys. They slowly walked back to the car as he leaned on her just slightly, cradling his hand to his chest.

(b)

"Hey!"

Wash looked up from his book as she walked into the apartment, tossing her purse on the floor. The bottle rolled out of it and Epsilon bounded over, batting the bright pink bottle around as she collapsed on the couch next to him, dropping her head to his chest.

"What happened?" Wash sounded panicked. She snuggled up to him and started crying, unable to respond to any of his frantic pleas to tell him what was wrong. He rubbed her back as she cried and by the time she finally calmed down enough to breath, she was exhausted and closed her eyes, sniffling against his chest.

"Did you know?" she finally asked, reaching up to wipe her eyes.

"Yeah," he said gently.

"Why didn't you warn me?"

"Because I knew it was something you had to decide on your own."

"You're a _dick_."

"I know. What exactly did he say?" He handed her a tissue from the table beside the couch and she took it gratefully, blowing her nose.

"He asked me for another chance," she said, tossing the tissue to the floor. Epsilon came over and started playing with it, mewing happily.

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him that you and I were dating."

Wash let out a low groan, patting her head. "Oh, Christ. That's gonna have some fallout, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry; it's the truth, and at least now he knows. I mean…that's not exactly the way I thought he'd find out, but I figured it'd be disastrous no matter what."

"Do we still have to go to the New Year's party?"

"Ugh…If we don't, North will throw a fit."

"Yeah."

"So what happened after you told him about us?"

Carolina half-shrugged against his chest. "He accused you of stealing me away, and I said I wasn't his to steal in the first place—not anymore, anyway."

"You managed to calm him down, though?"

"Yeah, I guess. We didn't speak the entire drive home though."

"Drive home? Where did he take you?"

"Out to the townhome he was going to buy."

He whistled. "Wow, pullin' out the big guns. Impressive."

"And there was a horse-drawn carriage waiting for us."

"I don't even know what to say to that."

"I'm so sorry you had to help him think of gifts for me," she said, sitting up to look Wash in the eyes. "I can't imagine how frustrating that must have been."

"That's why I disappeared for a couple days." Wash sighed, tilting his head forward to touch their foreheads together. "I'm so sorry, Lina. I just couldn't handle it."

"I figured that out. It's okay. I understand."

"Do you want to get some dinner? I didn't have anything planned for us because I wasn't sure what York had planned, but I'm sure someplace is still open and not booked up because of the holiday."

"Sure." Carolina tilted her chin forward and kissed Wash. He grinned and stood up, offering her his hand to help her up. "Let me just go wash my face, okay?"

"Sounds good, I'll pick a place." He reached out and cupped her face in his hands, lightly brushing his lips against hers. She covered his hands with her own and smiled, nuzzling their noses together. "Go get ready," he whispered. "I'm hungry."

"Me too." She laughed and walked to the bathroom, wiping her cheeks on her sleeve. Once inside she shut the door and stared at her blotchy face in the mirror, reaching out to start the sink.

(b)

_"I want you to be happy."_

_York finally broke the silence but Carolina couldn't bring herself to look at him. They'd been sitting in the car for over a minute, parked outside the apartment building._

_"I am."_

_"I'm sorry for everything I said."_

_"I know."_

_"Are we ever going to get back to normal?"_

_"I don't know."_

_"Do you _want_ to?"_

_Finally she looked over at him and saw his already-bruising hand against his face, covering his scar. "I always wanted to."_

_"And you'll keep your promise?"_

'Please, give me that. Give me something to hold onto. That's all I ask.' _He'd looked so broken; she couldn't say no, now or before._ "_I will."_

_York held out his right hand and carefully set it on her arm she'd been resting on the center console of the car. She didn't react and listened to his labored breathing; his other hand was probably hurting like hell from punching the sidewalk._

_"If he's what you need, then…I won't pretend I'm even a little bit okay with it, but I know I have no say in the matter. I'll leave you alone."_

_"Thanks." It was barely audible; she was close enough to tears that anything might send her over the edge. When had she gotten so emotional over everything? She breathed in and out a couple times, feeling his fingers flex against her arm. She resisted the drive to hold his hand out of habit._

_"You should probably get back," he said, moving his hand from his face to the car door. He pulled his other hand from her arm and climbed out of the car, slamming the door shut behind him. She waited a moment and opened her own door, carefully getting out. York was already inside the apartment building, having not said goodbye._

_It was probably better that way._

**Part 41**

"I can't afford _anything_ in this place."

"It's on me."

"I can't let you do that! I can't even afford to breathe the _air_ in here, let's just go—"

"Hello!" An entirely-too-chipper saleswoman popped up in front of Carolina, gesturing to the inside of the store. "Have you been in before?"

Carolina opened her mouth to talk but Maine put a heavy hand on her arm, silencing her. "We're just going to look around for now. We'll let you know if we need anything."

The woman smiled at him, a little shakily, and excused herself as Maine guided Carolina over to a bank of chairs outside the dressing rooms. "What size are you?" he asked, glancing around the store to inspect the various dresses hanging on racks.

"Uh…I guess it depends?"

"I'll guess." He disappeared into the sea of clothing and Carolina looked around, feeling entirely out of place.

Maine had insisted that he pick the place to go shopping, and she had trusted his judgment, not having any ideas of where to find a nice dress with less than a week to go until New Year's Eve. He'd driven them to one of higher-class malls just outside of the city and walked her inside, ignoring her protests that she had no money because of the holidays. 'I've got money' was his only reply, and considering he'd bought her a _very_ nice set of fountain pens and three high-quality sketchbooks for Christmas, she was inclined to believe him.

"Here." He reappeared a few minutes later, his arms filled with about ten different dresses in varying shades of green and blue. "Try these."

"Okay," she said, taking them from him to go hang in a dressing room.

"Hang on." He went over to a shoe display and picked out a pair of black three-inch heels, bringing them over to her. She looked down at her boots and smiled.

"Yeah, I guess I need heels for a dress."

"Go." He pointed at the dressing room and she obeyed, closing the door behind her. She looked up at all the dresses and sighed, feeling completely overwhelmed.

A moment later she came out in a strapless green dress that tapered in the back but was shorter in the front, wobbling a little bit on the heels. Maine looked at her and shook his head, returning his attention back to the pamphlet he'd found on a nearby table. She rolled her eyes and went back inside to try on a different one, choosing a bright turquoise dress with ruffles across the front. Already knowing the answer, she approached him and did a little spin move, going back into the dressing room a second later as he shook his head.

"I really appreciate you taking me shopping," she called out over the door, grabbing another dress to wrestle herself into.

"No problem."

"And thank you again for the Christmas gifts—I've been eyeing those pens for a long time."

"I know. North told me."

"How's it going with you guys?"

She caught him hiding a smile as she came out in a floor-length, skin-tight, one-shouldered emerald gown. The smile quickly became a frown and she rolled her eyes again, retreating into the room. "_You_ picked these, you know," she said loudly.

"We're doing great."

"What was that smile just now? I saw you."

"He just makes me happy."

"That's so great to hear. I've honestly never seen North happier than when he's with you."

"He's a wonderful man."

"He really is, I'm glad you bring it out in him." Carolina came back out in a fitted midnight-blue dress with small cap sleeves. Maine frowned and she sighed, hoping the next one would work.

"I think I'm going to propose."

"_What_?" Her head was sticking out of the dressing room, the dress half-hanging off of her, revealing her bra. She quickly shoved herself back into it and ran out wearing one heel, limping over to sit in a chair next to him.

Maine nodded, his cheeks slightly pink. For the first time she noticed that his hair was beginning to grow back in, just barely—she remembered North complaining that he appreciated the baldness but always liked having hair to pull on when the time called for it. Thin fuzz was already covering most of his head. "We've been talking about making it official, but he seems hesitant for some reason."

"Really? I would think he'd be all for it."

"I think he's scared of commitment. He keeps talking about kids and I keep telling him I'm not ready for that. I don't know what he's thinking. I think he's trying to push me away, but maybe not on purpose."

"But you still want to be with him?"

"Of course." He frowned at her. "He's not going to get rid of me that easily."

"You guys _did_ break up over a misunderstanding—"

"We got over that."

"Well, I'm really happy for you, and if there's anything I can do, let me know." Carolina leaned over and hugged him, smiling to herself when he awkwardly reached up to pat her arm.

"I can't hug you when you're half-naked," he said, glancing away. She looked down to see that the dress had slipped forward, revealing most of her barely bra-covered chest.

"_Oh god_." She ran back into the dressing room, hearing Maine laughing.

"Just don't say anything to anybody," he called out a minute later as she was zipping up another dress.

"I won't!"

"Not even Wash."

"Oh my god, I won't, you can trust me." She pushed open the door and came out in another dress, raising her arms to her sides as she posed. "How about this one?"

Maine stayed silent, looking her over, a pleased expression on his face. It was a strapless dress in a vibrant cerulean blue, rouched at the hips at an angle, giving her stomach the appearance of being flat while emphasizing her curves. It stopped a few inches above her knees and tapered slightly at the sides, revealing another inch of skin along her legs. The heels added much-needed height and extended her legs. The neckline was low without being _too_ low, dipping in the middle for a sweetheart neckline.

"I approve," he said finally, and she grinned, resisting the urge to check the price tag.

(b)

"When am I going to get to see this dress?" Wash complained, rummaging through her suitcase. Carolina laughed and threw a magazine at him, watching as he narrowly dodged it.

"I'm not keeping it in my suitcase, you moron."

"Oh, okay." He went over to the closet and started digging through the rows of hanging shirts.

"I'm not even keeping it here," she said, shaking her head. "I didn't want Epsilon to get to it, so Maine's keeping it at their place."

"Oh." Wash's face fell and he sat down on the bed, stretching his arms over his head. "So, what do you want to do tonight?"

"Dinner and a movie, I guess? We still have those rentals due back soon."

"Ah, I guess you're right. What sounds good for dinner?"

Carolina's phone rang and she picked it up from the dresser, checking the caller ID. "Who is it?" Wash asked, cocking his head.

"York."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah." She tilted the screen in his direction, the phone still ringing. "Should I answer it?"

He shrugged, suddenly inspecting the carpet. "Up to you."

Deciding she may as well, she hit the answer button and held the phone up to her ear. "Hey, York."

"Carolina! So glad you answered."

She recognized that tone, knowing that he was well on his way to a massive hangover the next morning. "What's up, York?"

"Can you come over?"

"I can't just come over; it's eight o'clock at night. What do you need?"

"Come on, just for a little bit. Wash won't mind."

She looked over at him and saw that he was glaring at her after having heard the mention of her going to York's place. "Yeah, he does, actually."

"I just want to talk."

"We can talk on the phone."

York sighed loudly and she shook her head. "I want to talk in _person_. Don't be like this."

"Good night, York."

"_Wait_! Just—are you going to North's party?"

"Yes. Both of us will be there."

"Good. Then I guess that's it." He sounded disappointed but tried to hide it by suddenly laughing. "Guess I can't drunk call you anymore, huh?"

"I wouldn't recommend it, no."

"Okay. Night."

"Good night." She hung up the phone and set it down, shrugging. "He's drunk," she said, as though that explained everything.

"Of course."

"So, about dinner?"

Wash smiled and nodded, trying to hide his obvious uncomfort by standing up to take her by the hand. "Chinese?"

"Sounds great."


	22. Chapter 22

**Part 42**

Carolina was having a hell of a time getting ready for the party, considering everyone was apparently conspiring to drive her insane.

Her phone was ringing with Dakota and CT both bothering her about what she was wearing, wanting to make sure they weren't going to match in any way ('_like it really mattered_,' she muttered to herself multiple times). Simmons had called her via Skype to complain that Grif wasn't doing any of the chores she usually made him do, with Grif yelling over him that it didn't matter since she wasn't home anyway. After putting out that fire, Simmons had called again, wanting to talk to Wash since he apparently had a date and wanted advice. Carolina kept running around her room trying to locate her shoes and jewelry and makeup in the suitcase, distracting Wash enough that Simmons finally gave up on trying to get any worthwhile advice out of him.

"Are you almost ready?" Wash asked, closing her laptop so it wouldn't ring again with more nonsense from Grif and Simmons. She was already dressed and was finishing curling the ends of her hair, sticking a thumbs-up through the crack in the bathroom door.

"Sorry, too distracted," she called out, setting down the curling iron. She gave herself a final once-over in the mirror, making sure the dress hugged her in all the right places, fluffed her hair a little, and smiled, stepping out into the bedroom to see Wash standing at the foot of the bed, checking his watch. When he looked up at her, she actually saw his jaw drop open and she laughed.

"Holy _shit_." He looked down at his own suit, solid black pants and gray jacket with a blue tie that closely matched her dress. "I'm going to look fucking _terrible_ next to you."

"Oh, shut up," she said, walking over to him. He glanced over her again and his smile grew wider, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets.

"I am _not_ going to be able to control myself tonight," he warned, trying to avoid looking directly at her cleavage. "Seriously, I can't promise I'll behave."

"I never asked you to," she whispered, pressing herself against his chest. The heels made up the difference in their heights and they were standing eye to eye. Her hands slid down his back and gripped his ass, squeezing it. "Ready to go?"

Wash swallowed roughly. "Uh, yeah," he replied in a gravelly voice, looking pained. "Fucking _party_," he grumbled as he followed her out into the living room, grabbing his keys from the dresser.

(b)

The hallway leading to North and Maine's apartment was littered with batches of white and silver balloons tied to small bags of rice so they wouldn't float away. Wash kicked at one as they approached the door, which was propped open. Carolina poked her head inside and saw North near the doorway, talking to some people she didn't recognize.

"Happy New Year!" she called out, stepping into the apartment. North turned and saw them, his face exploding into a huge grin.

"Lina! Wash!" He hurried over and swept her into a hug, shaking Wash's hand after he set her down. "Glad you made it!"

"Sorry we're late, had to deal with some roommate stuff," Carolina apologized.

"No, it's fine, come in!" North ushered them inside and started the rounds of introductions, giving Carolina entirely too many names that she was never going to remember for various coworkers and friends. Finally she was standing in a corner, waiting for Wash to bring her a drink, and someone grabbed her arm, pulling her into a hug.

"Oh my god, I haven't seen you in _forever_!" CT exclaimed, hugging her tightly.

Carolina laughed as they broke apart. "I saw you last week on Christmas," she countered.

"Well, it _feels_ like forever. Hey, Carolina, meet my boyfriend, Brandon." CT reached behind her and pulled a guy forward who looked completely uncomfortable. He stuck his hand out and she shook it, smiling. "Brandon, this is Carolina, one of my best friends."

"Very nice to meet you," he greeted, smiling back at her.

"Hey, go find Dakota, she was waiting for you to get here," CT told her. She nodded and told them she'd be back, wandering away to find other people. Dakota was near the kitchen with a guy, obviously flirting, and she avoided them, not wanting to interrupt. She'd gotten yelled at before for doing exactly that.

"Hey, there you are!" Wash appeared at her side, handing her a small plastic cup. "You ran away from your corner."

"There're too many people here," Carolina said with a frown, sipping her drink. "I thought it was going to be more intimate."

"Aw, come on, look at this as a chance for me to show you off." Wash looped an arm around her waist and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Let's go find someone to talk to, okay?"

"Maine looks pretty lonely," Carolina said, gesturing over to where he was sitting on the couch, fidgeting as he read a magazine, looking uncomfortable in a black suit, one hand playing idly with his white tie. Wash nodded and they walked over, sitting on either side of him. Maine jumped and looked at Wash, then Carolina, frowning.

"Hello," he greeted.

"What's up, solo guy?" Wash asked. "Why aren't you hosting with North?" He pointed to where North was showing off a new painting hanging on their wall to a few people she didn't recognize.

"Not really my party," he replied, shaking his head.

"Everything okay?" Carolina asked, patting his back.

Maine shrugged. "Didn't think he'd invite so many people," he said, patting his suit jacket pocket. Carolina raised an eyebrow and leaned in closer.

"Tonight?" she whispered. He nodded and cracked a small smile.

"That was the plan."

"What's going on?" Wash asked, leaning in to whisper with them. "What are you whispering about?"

"Nothing." Maine stood up suddenly and adjusted his tie, walking towards the kitchen. Carolina chuckled and stood up, fixing her dress. Wash sighed and sipped his drink.

"No one ever tells me anything…"

"Come on, hon, let's go get a snack. I'm getting hungry since we didn't really eat dinner." She held out her hand and Wash took it, getting to his feet. They headed over to the dining room table where some platters of small sandwiches and cakes were already being attacked by the other guests. She picked up a plate and started carving herself a slice of chocolate cake with drizzled chocolate frosting when a hand touched the back of hers, stopping her.

"The lemon cake is much better," York's voice said, and she set the knife down, looking up at him.

York was decked out in the same suit he'd worn when he asked her to marry him, but was wearing a light blue tie instead of the yellow one, the shade complimenting her dress. "I wanted chocolate," she countered, gesturing towards the original cake. Wash's hand was immediately on her back, pressed firmly against the fabric of her dress.

"I'm telling you, the lemon beats out chocolate." York smiled and handed her another knife. "Just try it."

"Dude, she said she wants chocolate cake, let her pick her own food." Wash squared his shoulders and glared at York, who just smiled back at him.

"Fine." York picked up his drink he'd set down and walked off, chugging it as Wash let out a controlled breath. Carolina finished cutting herself a slice of cake and scooped it onto a plate, licking frosting off of her finger.

"Thanks," she said, kissing Wash.

"Yeah, no problem." He wasn't even looking at her; he was too busy watching York refill his drink in the kitchen, chatting with a young girl who looked pleased to be getting flirted with, especially with a guy like him.

"Don't let him get to you," Carolina said, digging a fork into the cake. "He's trying to mess with us on purpose."

"I know." The annoyance was clear in his voice and he sounded bitter as well. "I'm trying not to pay attention to him."

"And glaring at him will accomplish that?"

Wash sighed and turned his stare to her, the anger leaving his face, replaced by unbridled lust as he leaned down to press his lips to hers, grinding his hips against hers. She managed to set the plate down as she wrapped her arms around his neck and licked his upper lip, seeing that he'd gotten some of her frosting on it.

"Sorry," he murmured, running a hand across her lower back.

She grinned. "Yeah, if that's how you're going to make it up to me, glare away," she said, kissing him again. A loud laugh from the kitchen punctuated their bubble and they both glanced over to see York draped over the girl, whispering something in her ear as she giggled. Wash's hand tensed against her back and she pressed herself against him, kissing his cheek.

(b)

It was nearing eleven o'clock and the party was in full swing. Carolina had managed to get a few drinks in Wash and he was definitely loosening up, spinning her around the makeshift dance floor in the living room as upbeat music played on the CD player North had set up near the television. CT and Brandon were dancing nearby, lost in their own slow dance, while Dakota was dancing with some guy Carolina didn't recognize, but seemed to be into Dakota as he took every opportunity to brush his hand against her hips or arms.

"I need a break," Carolina finally gasped, out of breath from the swing song that just finished. Wash was breathing a little heavily, looking a little flushed, and he went to go find them some drinks as she walked over to the food table, grabbing a handful of candy to shove in her mouth. A light touch on her arm made her jump slightly and she looked up to see York smiling at her, a definite drunken haze enveloping him.

"What?" she asked, half-mumbled from the mouthful of candy. She finished chewing and swallowed, feeling embarrassed. "I mean, hey."

"Happy New Years," York said, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her in for a passionate kiss. She tried to push away but ended up sinking into his arms, the alcohol in her system tugging at memories and allowing her to kiss him back, feeling dizzy as she registered that he tasted faintly of lemons.

York pulled away with a gigantic grin on his face, pointing up to some mistletoe hanging over the table. Wash was standing next to him, a cup in each hand, pure rage painted across his face.

"What the _fuck_?"

"Happy New Years!" York said, reaching his hands up to frame Wash's face, planting a kiss right on his lips. Carolina felt her jaw drop as Wash nearly dropped the drinks, freezing up as York pulled back, laughing. He wandered off a second later, grabbing CT, who unfortunately happened to be close by, dipping her back to kiss her. Brandon shoved him away as Wash set the cups on the table, looking like he was about to be sick. People started murmuring as they watched Maine grab York by the collar, dragging him away towards the bedroom. North catcalled, obviously a little too drunk to realize what was going on, and everyone else started laughing as Wash and Carolina looked at each other, both glancing up at the mistletoe after a minute.

(b)

"So I'm totally into the environment right now, and I feel like it's _super_ important to know where our food comes from, you know? With all the pesticides and stuff right now, I just, like, want to know _where_ everything is coming from."

"Yeah, totally," York replied, watching Wash and Carolina dancing in the living room. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off her the entire night, loathing that she looked so fantastic and wasn't with _him_. The girl he was talking to brushed her fingers over his arm, getting his attention again. _God_, she was vapid, and he wasn't anywhere close to drunk, which was making her even more intolerable.

"Don't you care where your food comes from?" she asked, stroking his arm. "I mean, vegetables are like, our _lives_ right now."

"Uh, yeah, I care." He finished his drink and leaned against her, pressing his cheek to hers. "I'll be right back, okay babe?"

"Okay." She giggled and he tossed his empty cup on the counter, swaggering over to the food table. He cut himself a large chunk of the half-eaten lemon cake and popped it into his mouth, chewing slowly to savor the moist, rich taste. As he chewed he watched Carolina come over, smiling happily, looking slightly winded from all the dancing. She shoved a handful of candy in her mouth and he waited until she was halfway through chewing until he touched her on the arm, getting her attention.

"What?" She looked like she was about to choke on the candy, finally swallowing. "I mean, hey."

"Happy New Years," he said, reaching out to grab her gently around the waist. She made a small noise of protest as he kissed her gently, working up to a more passionate kiss as his tongue slid over her lower lip, parting them. He let out a quiet moan as she kissed him back, loosening up in his arms. Knowing he was pushing a little too far, he let go of her, smiling drunkenly as he pointed up at the mistletoe above them. He saw Wash standing next to them, looking like he was about to murder someone. York grinned—he'd waited until he saw him watching, knowing exactly how to push his buttons.

"What the _fuck_?" Wash sputtered, and York saw his grip on the cups in his hands tighten.

"Happy New Years!" he exclaimed, lurching forward to grab Wash's face in his hands, pressing their lips together, nipping at his bottom lip as he pulled away with a laugh. Wash looked like he was about to throw up as York pretended to stagger away, grabbing CT by the arm as she danced with her boyfriend. He dipped her low and kissed her, ignoring the shouts from the guy as he felt hands on his shoulder, shoving him away. Seconds later a large hand was near his neck and he craned his head back to see Maine frowning down at him, dragging him towards one of the bedrooms.

"What are you fucking _doing_?" Maine growled, throwing him through the doorway. He landed on the edge of their bed and watched as York fixed his hair, smiling.

"Nothing," he replied.

"Are you _so drunk_ that you're just fucking around?"

"Maine, I'm not even _drunk_." He stood up and put one foot in front of the other, touching his nose with his pointer finger as he took a few steps in a straight line. "See?"

"Then _what_ do you think you're going to_ accomplish _acting like that?"

York shrugged. "Just trying to have some fun," he said with a smirk.

"You're ruining the party."

"No I'm not—I'm just making things more _interesting_, that's all."

"Cut it out."

"Make me."

Maine stood in front of him, hands on his hips, glaring down at York. He made a muffled squeak and sat back down on the bed, frowning.

"You're no fun."

"If I see you acting like that again, I _will_ throw you out."

"Oh, boo hoo, I live _downstairs_. Big deal."

"You need to leave Carolina alone."

"What, are you her _dad_ now? Are you and North her overprotective _dads_ or something?" York stood back up and pushed a finger into Maine's chest, watching as his eyes trailed down to his hand. "Do you really think there's anything _you_ can do to stop me?"

"I will _break_ _you_ if I have to."

"I'd _love_ to see you try." York dropped his hand and stepped around Maine, throwing open the door. The music floated through the doorway as he left, leaving Maine in the bedroom.

(b)

"Five minutes to midnight!" someone called out, prompting a cheer from the partygoers. Wash turned to Carolina, smiling.

"I'm so glad you're here," he whispered, lightly kissing her cheek.

"I am too," she replied, snuggling against him as they sat on the couch, her legs resting over his.

"Hey guys!"

York flopped down onto the couch next to them, dangling an arm on Wash's that was behind Carolina's head, holding her up. He grinned and watched as Wash tensed up immediately.

"Get the fuck away from us," he said in a stern voice, his hands clenching into fists.

"Come on, just trying to be friendly. Cut me some slack, I'm _super_ wasted," he said, that stupid grin pasted on his face, not moving his arm. Wash finally shook his arm so York's hand fell, landing on the couch.

"Seriously, I _don't_ want you near us right now," Wash continued, glaring at him.

"Calm the fuck down, _Wash_."

"I'd appreciate it if we could have some privacy," Carolina added, giving him a look. York shook his head and stood up, casually brushing his arm against Carolina's side as he did so.

"Fine. Try to be friendly and I get yelled at, real nice," he said, walking away. Wash rolled his eyes and kissed the top of Carolina's head, listening to her sigh.

(b)

"Four minutes!" Dakota yelled, blowing a party horn she'd found somewhere, probably having smuggled it in. North winced, hating the sound, making a mental note to locate it in the next minute and destroy it.

"Hey," Maine said, squeezing his hand. "Are you okay?"

North nodded, shrugging. "Do you think everyone's having fun? I hope they're having fun."

"It's a great party, sweetie." Maine leaned in and kissed him softly, running his hand up North's arm.

"I really tried."

"And it shows."

North smiled, leaning against Maine's chest. "Thanks, sweetie."

"Meet me under the mistletoe at midnight. I have a surprise for you."

North arched an eyebrow. "Oh, really? I can't wait."

Maine kissed him again. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too."

"See you in a few minutes." Maine let go of his arm and went over to the kitchen. He watched him refill his drink, chugging most of it at once.

(b)

"Three minutes till midnight," CT said, smiling at Brandon.

"Yep," he replied, sipping his drink.

"Thanks for coming. I know you were nervous to meet everyone."

"I was, but they seem pretty cool." Brandon smiled back at her, nudging her shoulder. "Not as cool as you though."

CT laughed and raised herself up on her toes to kiss his cheek.

(b)

"Two minutes to go," Carolina said, snuggling against Wash.

"According to what clock?"

"Does it matter? I'm going by Dakota."

"Sounds good." Wash chuckled and brought his cup to his lips, sipping the last of his drink. "I kind of can't wait for the night to be over so we can go home and celebrate alone."

"Oh, really? Did you have plans?"

He grinned. "Oh, Lina, you have no _idea_ what you're in for tonight."

She took his hand and kissed his knuckles, smiling. "Can't wait."

(b)

"Fuck," York said out loud, glancing at the clock on the stove, realizing only a minute remained. A couple people looked over at him, but he shrugged, fidgeting with his tie. If he was going to do it, he had to do it _now_.

He took a deep breath and put on his best drunken smile, wandering over to the couch where Wash and Carolina were snuggled together. "I thought I told you to leave us alone," Wash said as he approached.

"I did, but now I want to say something." He tried to slur his words, but wasn't putting as much effort into it as usual; he was too nervous, letting the vulnerable side of his personality come out.

"Then say it."

"I just wanted to say…that Wash, you are the _worst friend_ a person could ever ask for."

The music seemed to become louder as people stopped talking, overhearing them. Wash's cheeks paled as he let go of Carolina, standing up to look at York directly. "_What_?" he said.

"You heard me. You're a fucking _terrible_ friend—but we were never really _friends_, were we? I was just someone you _tolerated_, someone who was trying to steal _North_ from you way back then, because you're such an insecure _bitch_."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw North and Maine look over at him from underneath the mistletoe at the snack table. "What the fuck are you trying to accomplish here?" Wash replied, his hands trembling at his sides. Carolina was still on the couch, staring up at them in horror.

"Might as well get everything out in the open, Wash!" York nearly yelled, reaching up to push Wash's chest with the palm of his hand. "You can't handle me as competition, can you? It's eating you _alive_ that Carolina still wants _me_! She never stopped loving _me_, and you _know_ it, but you're so _pathetic_ that you're still willing to be with her! Do you even _realize_ how _sad_ that makes you?!"

"_York_!" Carolina leapt to her feet, pushing him back with a quick shove. "Stop it! What the _fuck_ are you _doing_?"

"Come _on_, Lina! You shouldn't be with this _loser_—he didn't even have the fucking _courage_ to go for you until you were already _mine_! You _lost_ your chance, Wash, and you had to sneak around behind my _back_ and _trick_ her into dating you!"

"She _knew_ I loved her!" Wash exploded, holding his arm out to block Carolina from slapping York. "She knew because I _told_ her, _before_ you two broke up! And you know what? She told _me_ about Columbia _before_ she told _you_! _We even kissed that night_—were you _so stupid_ to think that she'd never return my feelings, after hanging around with me for so long? Who do you think she _complained_ to _every fucking time_ you two fought? Who was there to pick up _your_ messes? _I was_!"

Carolina collapsed onto the couch, her head in her hands. Everyone was watching them as the clock on the mantle ticked past 12:01.

"You told me _nothing happened_ between you two," York said softly, looking down at Carolina.

"It _was_ nothing, back then!" she said, looking up at the two of them, tears in her eyes. "I was with _you_, York, and then circumstances _changed_, and—"

Blinding white anger ripped through York's chest and he swiftly brought up his right fist, smashing it into Wash's face, knocking him down to the couch. He landed with a thud and brought up his hand to his cheek as Carolina shouted for him to stop, but he couldn't see straight. York aimed another punch and connected with Wash's stomach, causing him to double over in pain. A hand was on his arm seconds later and he shoved, pushing Carolina a few feet back away from the couch.

"_You goddamned fucking asshole_!" York screamed, watching as Wash struggled to his feet, grinning as a thin trail of blood trickled from a cut on his lip.

"At least she finally made up her mind," Wash countered, quickly swinging a fist. He connected with York's cheek and he staggered over, his vision briefly going dark. He blinked and straightened, aiming another punch, but Wash blocked it as he swung, shoving him to the side, both of them nearly tripping over the table in front of the couch. "Unlike _you_," he continued, his voice becoming muffled as York stumbled, his vision still blurred, his ears beginning to ring. "_You_ never _could_ make up your fucking mind and you kept _fucking_ with her, as though her feelings didn't _matter_!"

"I _never_ played with her feelings," York growled, shoving Wash back. He kept advancing as York caught his balance, wiping a hand across his mouth, coming away with a few flecks of blood. "I fucking asked her to _marry me_ and she turned me down—it's _your_ fault, because you got into her _head_!"

"You know what I did in New York?" Wash said, swinging again. York blocked the punch and threw his own punch at the same time, managing to connect with Wash's shoulder. Wash staggered back, reaching up to hold it as he gritted his teeth. "I slept with her, because she _wanted me to_. And we've been sleeping together since. She _doesn't_ _love you_ anymore, York, and she hasn't in a long time! She fucking _loathes everything about you_!"

"Then how come she _kissed me_ _back_ just now, under the mistletoe?"

"_Because_ _she feels sorry for you_!"

York stopped, his hands dropping to his sides. He waited for the impact as Wash threw one final punch, his fist connecting with his good eye, knocking him to the ground. His vision went black again and he felt strong arms around him a second later. Struggling to open his eye, which he could already feel swelling, he saw North helping Wash over to a chair and realized Maine was holding him in his arms. He managed a smirk.

"Bet you feel sorry for me too," he mumbled, leaning his head against Maine's chest.

"Not even a little bit," Maine replied, carrying him out of the apartment. Carolina's cries faded away as the door closed behind them, Maine carrying him carefully as he passed out, fading gratefully into the darkness.

Writer note: I am going on vacation from 7/11-7/15, and will resume writing/updating on the 15th. I hope to have another section done for that night. :)


	23. Chapter 23

**Part 43**

The clock next to the bed read 1:14am. The apartment was silent save for labored breathing coming from York on the bed, half-covered with a blanket as Wash sat watch over him. Carolina was out on the couch. She'd been reading when he last checked on her, but that had been at least half an hour earlier and he hadn't heard a peep from her since.

York let out a groan as he rolled over, waking himself up. His hand immediately moved to his face, poking at the swollen, tender skin around his good eye, trying to get comfortable in bed. "Who's there?" he asked a moment later, trying to see in the darkness.

"It's me," Wash said gruffly. "You're in your own bed."

"I can't see."

"Your eye is swollen shut. Here." A second later something cold touched his eye and he shouted in pain, touching it. It seemed to be a towel wrapped around some ice and his hand brushed Wash's as he held it to his face.

"Thanks."

"Least I could do."

They were silent for a few minutes, York breathing heavily through the pain. Finally he moved the bag away from his face, realizing he could see a little better as his vision adjusted to the darkness. Wash had a bandage on his face and his lower lip was split at the corner. "You okay?"

"That's funny, coming from _you_."

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not."

"You're right, I'm not." York tried to chuckle but realized his head hurt too much to accommodate.

"Yeah, neither am I." Wash shifted in the chair and moaned in pain. "You _really_ fucking got my shoulder there. Great hook."

"Thanks. I've been going to the gym a lot."

"I can tell."

Awkward silence filled the room again. York struggled to sit up and felt Wash's hands on his side, trying to help ease the transition.

"So," Wash started. "Want to tell me what happened up there?"

"No."

"York."

"I really don't want to talk about it, Wash."

"Come on, we're friends. Unless you really meant what you said."

"I did, in the moment." York shifted a little bit, renewing the pain in his head. The ice was helping his face but his mouth was starting to feel numb, so he moved the towel up a bit.

"Do you really think I was jealous of you and _North_?"

York felt blood rushing to his cheeks, away from the swelling. "Uh, I don't really know _what_ I was saying, to be honest. I was kind of throwing out anything I could think of, and that seemed like a good opening insult."

"Oh. Because, well, I used to be."

"What?"

Wash sighed. "You guys became, like, _best friends_ in college, and I wasn't there. I _was_ jealous, because I felt like I was losing _my_ best friend. Eventually I realized that I was being stupid, and when you moved back after the Army, I was excited because now I had the chance to have _two_ best friends."

"Huh." York moved the ice away from his eye so he could see Wash. "I didn't know. I just thought we were friends."

"I know. I never told anyone about any of that, not even North. I knew he'd just tease me about being in love with him or something. I'm really not," Wash added quickly.

York smiled painfully. "No, I know. North is a great friend, though."

"He really is."

"Maine's going to kill me, isn't he?"

"He probably will."

"_Fuck_."

Wash chuckled. "What are we going to do, man?"

"My plan is to avoid Maine for at least a week, personally. Maybe longer."

"You know what I'm talking about."

"Do I?"

"Do you _want_ me to punch you again?"

"No," York said quickly.

"She's going home in a few days. As far as I'm concerned, she and I are still dating. But if you can't _handle that_, then we're going to have to lay down some ground rules."

"Ground rules?" York echoed.

Wash leaned forward and poked his shoulder. "Things like, I won't talk about her around you and vice versa. And you'll stop trying to get her to change her mind about you."

"Yeah, that's _really_ not fair to _me_."

"Well, tough shit, because that's the only way things are going to go back to civilized between us, and you know it."

York moved the ice back up to his eye, frowning. "Don't you think we should ask _her_ what _she_ wants?"

"I don't think she's in _any_ mindset to think clearly right now. Her ex-almost-fiancé and her current boyfriend just beat the shit out of each other in front of twenty people on New Year's Eve. Do you really want her to weigh in on this?"

"No," York replied quietly. "So what am I supposed to do, just sit back and pine from afar?"

"That's up to you. But I want you to stop bothering her."

York rolled his eyes, regretting the action instantly. "_Fuck,_ Wash, I can't just _forget_ about my feelings for her."

"I don't know what else to tell you. I'm tired of sticking her in the middle of this, though."

"Then ask _her_ to decide. That's the only fair thing."

"Do you _really_ think you have a chance? _I'm_ the one dating her right now; _I_ haven't tried to push her too far, whereas _you have_."

"It's _not_ fair to ask me to choose between you two."

"Exactly! It's not fair to—" York stopped talking, tilting his head towards the doorway. He could make out the silhouette of Carolina leaning against the doorway, staring at the two of them. He heard Wash start to stand up, but she shook her head, walking a few feet closer.

"Lina, I—" Wash started, stopping when she held up a hand.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking," Carolina said, looking from Wash to York. "A lot of thinking about the past couple of years, about both of you, about myself. I've come to realize that I became a different person with each of you. With York, I became passive. I lost myself in the relationship and let it move faster than I was ready for. With Wash, I tried to be more aggressive with what I wanted, but I wasn't sure what exactly that _was_."

She paused for a minute, and looked down at the ground, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. "The thing is, that's not who I _am_. Neither of those is who I _want to be_. I was letting myself be defined by whoever I was with, and I miss the person I was before—the Carolina who didn't let anyone hold her back from what she wanted."

"Lina—"

"No, York. Just listen to me." She took a deep breath and looked up at Wash, who was fidgeting and playing with his loosened tie. "When it comes to you two, I can't choose, and that's not fair to put me in that position. York, what we had was wonderful, because you kept me on my toes and challenged me all of the time. Wash, you let me choose my own direction in life and you're supportive of everything I do. Really, I don't deserve _either_ of you."

"I'd be happier if you would just decide," York said, moving the ice away from his face. The towel was beginning to feel slightly soggy.

"That's the thing—I'm not _going_ to decide. Or, if you look at it another way, I'm not going to choose either one of you."

"What?!" Wash stood up suddenly, groaning as a wave of pain hit his chest and shoulder. "Lina, don't do this—"

"Wash, I appreciate everything you've done for me, trying to get me over York, being supportive of school, making an effort to be everything I thought I needed. But I think I need a break…from _both_ of you."

York swung his legs off the other side of the bed and lurched towards her, ignoring the blinding pain in his head. "Lina, no, you can't just give up on _both_ of us!"

"I'm not _giving up_." From the closer position he could see that she was crying. "I'm just…taking some time to myself for right now. I don't expect you two to really understand, but it's what I need. All of this—" She gestured from York to Wash, who was still standing next to the chair, "this is just too much, and I don't want your friendship ruined because of me."

Wash shook his head. "I'm not going to accept this."

"Tough, because that's what's going to happen."

York reached out and touched her arm lightly, watching the tears flow faster from the corners of her eyes. "Babe, please. I love you _so much_. We can get back to where we were, just give me a chance. You _promised_. You _promised me,_ Carolina."

Her face crumpled as she turned away, letting his hand stay on her arm. "I'm not breaking my promise," she whispered, shaking her head slightly. "I'm just taking some time for myself."

"_Please_." His voice was desperate, shaking, broken. A sob rose in the back of his throat and he didn't bother to try to stop it, feeling his chest quake as silent tears rolled down his cheeks. Wash remained silent as she pulled away, moving closer to the doorway.

"I'm going to stay at North's tonight," she said to Wash, who just nodded. A moment later she was gone and York collapsed to the floor, clutching his face, clawing at his scar as he sobbed. He felt something touch his back and rolled into it, shaking against Wash as he rubbed his back, whispering that everything was going to be okay.

**Part 44**

"This is the most awkward breakfast ever. Of all time."

Everyone looked at Wash, who had been the bravest and decided to finally speak. Maine was in the kitchen, scrambling more eggs since the plate was nearly empty, and only the sounds of bacon sizzling in a pan could be heard across the apartment.

Wash and York sat opposite each other at the large dining room table, with Carolina at one end and North at the other. CT and Dakota were on either side of Carolina, acting as buffers, and Maine had been seated between North and Wash, which was fine by York, who was still trying to avoid him. The entire breakfast had been conversations between North and Dakota or CT, who were the only three actually willing to make the attempt at talking. Once topics had run out, however, the group had sat in stony silence, unwilling to make any attempt at talking about what had happened at New Year's Eve, which had been a full three days earlier.

"Yeah, I wonder _why_ it's awkward," North replied, shoving some toast around on his plate to pick up smeared jam.

"I don't know how else to apologize," York said, leaning back in his chair. His face was massively bruised but the swelling had gone away the day before. Wash hadn't fared any better, his cheek blooming with a colorful bruise. He was wearing a t-shirt and the bruising on his shoulder spread beyond the collar, swirling up near his neck.

"I don't need any more apologies. An _explanation_ would be nice, though." North bit into his toast, chewing quietly.

"I was drunk. I got out of control. I was _jealous_. That pretty much sums it up."

"Sure, but why has Carolina been staying at _our_ place since then?" North asked. "Why aren't you staying with Wash?" he said, directly at her.

Carolina suddenly became interested in the remainder of orange juice in the bottom of her glass, refusing to answer. North glanced at Wash, who shook his head slightly.

"Fine, I'll drop it. When is your flight?" he asked Carolina.

"Twelve-forty-five."

"Do you need a ride?"

"I'm taking her," Maine called out from the kitchen. North looked over at him with a questioning look, and Maine just glanced back down at the pan, lifting it away from the burner to shovel the eggs onto a plate. Carrying the plate over to the table, he set it between Wash and York, who both went for the fresh food.

"No, go ahead," York said first, pushing the plate towards Wash a little.

"I don't want to _take them_ from you or anything," Wash replied, pushing it back.

"I'm _letting_ you have them."

"Oh, _are_ you? What a sacrifice."

"Yeah, because _apparently_ I don't do that a lot—"

Carolina stood up, dropping her fork on her plate, interrupting their fight. She stalked off towards the spare bedroom and slammed the door behind her, causing a cloud of uncomfortable silence to settle over the table again. Maine went over to the bedroom and opened the door, sliding inside before shutting it again. Wash and York glared at each other and Dakota and CT looked at each other nervously, shrugging.

(b)

"I'm proud of you."

Maine reached over and squeezed Carolina's knee as he drove towards the airport, and she smiled up at him, hugging her purse against her chest.

"I knew you'd understand."

"Doesn't mean I forgive them for ruining my night," he grumbled, shaking his head.

"Oh my god, the proposal."

"Didn't happen."

"_Shit_, Maine, I'm so sorry—"

"Just not the right time." He smiled over at her and she felt a little better. "I'll find another time."

"You two could visit me out in New York over my spring break, that should be in March sometime."

"We'll see."

"I'm so, so sorry, Maine. I really am."

"Not your fault." He flicked on the turn signal to get into the lane merging into the airport passenger bay. "We're here."

"Thanks for the ride. I really appreciate it." Carolina climbed out of the car as Maine popped the trunk, grabbing her bags from the back. He handed her one of them and carefully set the other one on the ground, reaching out to grab her up in a tight hug.

"We're here for you," he said gently, patting her back. "If you need anything, call us."

"I will. Thanks."

"Did you say goodbye to either of them?" he asked, pulling away.

She shook her head. "I couldn't bring myself to do that. I'll call them later or something. I haven't thought that far ahead."

"You seem like you're doing well, considering."

"Well, I have the rest of you, and I get to go home to Grif and Simmons, so they'll inevitably distract me. I'm pretty sure I made the right choice, honestly."

"I think you did too."

"Don't propose until I'm around, okay?"

Maine smiled and nodded. "Of course. You're one of our best friends."

Carolina blushed. "Really?"

"Really."

"You're so great, Maine."

"I hope you believe the same about yourself." He squeezed her shoulder, turning her around. "You're going to miss your flight."

"Oh, I'm fine, it doesn't leave for another couple of hours."

"Still." He gave her a gentle nudge and she stumbled forward, catching her balance a foot in front of her.

"Hey!" She turned back and saw Maine grinning at her.

"Sorry."

"I'll see you soon."

"See you soon," he echoed, waving her off.

(Author note: Haha, this is a SLIGHTLY better way to leave y'all before vacation.) :3


	24. Chapter 24

**Part 45**

"Simmons didn't do the dishes like he was supposed to!"

"Grif ate all the food and we have to go shopping now!"

"Seriously, you guys?" Carolina set down her luggage and closed the door behind her, tossing her purse on the floor. "I literally _just walked in_ and you're already tattling on each other?"

Simmons got up from the couch and grabbed one of her bags, hoisting it up. "Here, I'll help you."

"Kiss ass," Grif called out from the couch where he'd paused their video game.

"Grab one," Carolina ordered, walking over to the fridge. She pulled it open and stared into the empty expanse of dimly-lit shelves. "Wow, you really ate _everything_."

"Even that green stuff in the plastic container," Simmons contributed as he came back into the living room.

"What _was_ that? That'd been in there a while."

"Dunno, but it tasted okay," Grif said.

"Dude, take her other bag into her room," Simmons said with a frown.

"Can't make me."

"_She_ asked you!"

"She's not my _real _mom."

"Yeah, because your mom's a—"

"Hey," Carolina interrupted, not wanting to hear the end of his insult. "Let me take a nap for an hour, and then we'll go grocery shopping, okay?"

"Fine," they grumbled together as Simmons sat back down on the couch to continue their game. Carolina picked up her purse and second bag and took them into her room, collapsing on the bed. A picture caught her eye and she looked up at the table next to her bed, seeing her framed picture of her and Wash from Thanksgiving. She reached up and tipped it over face-down on the table, sighing as she closed her eyes, relishing the give of the pillow.

(b)

Carolina pushed the shopping cart down the aisle filled with chips and cookies, resisting the urge to grab the majority of the brightly-colored bags. Someone bumped into her from behind and she mumbled a 'sorry' as they moved around her, apologizing as well. She looked up and saw a shock of brown hair and a yellow sweater, and she reached out to tap the man on the shoulder.

"York?"

He turned around and raised an eyebrow, giving her a look through his horn-rimmed glasses. "Hey, I said I was sorry," the stranger replied, shaking his head. "Fuckin' New Yorkers, always so rude," he mumbled as he wandered off, leaving Carolina standing to the side of the aisle, wanting to cry.

"Hey, I lost Simmons in the cheese section," Grif said from behind her, and she felt a spray of crumbs hit her hand. He was already eating cookies from a small heart-shaped package and she frowned at him. "I already paid for these," he reassured her.

"Okay, let's go find him then." She started pushing the cart again as Grif followed behind her, grabbing another package of cookies. He tossed them into the cart and grinned at her.

(b)

"So how was your New Years?" Simmons asked, shoving the package of cookies into the pantry, which was already overflowing with canned goods and other stuff they'd bought.

"Pretty much a disaster," Carolina said. She pulled out a bottle of water from the fridge and opened it, sipping it.

"What happened?"

"A lot of shit went down," she replied with a shrug.

"Does it have anything to do with you and Wash breaking up?"

She started, looking over at him. "What—how—"

"I called him yesterday," Simmons admitted. "He said to let him know how my date went, but we didn't really get a chance to talk about it."

"Like anything _happened_," Grif snorted from where he was perched on the counter next to the sink.

"Shut up, asswipe."

"What did he say?" Carolina asked, shooting Grif a 'shut the fuck up' look.

Simmons frowned. "I don't think I'm supposed to say—"

"If you don't tell me, I'll tell Grif where you hide the _good_ snacks."

His eyes widened as Grif jumped off the counter, grabbing his arm as he muttered '_good snacks_?' in an angry hiss. "Okay, okay, fine," he said, pushing Grif away. "He was just…really upset."

"What did he _say_?"

"He said…he said that you were right to do what you did, and he was hoping you'd make the right decision."

"What else?"

"That was pretty much it." Simmons pushed Grif away again, who was still hovering near his head, hissing at him. "I don't know what happened, he didn't tell me, just that you two weren't really dating anymore. Which sucks, by the way. I liked Wash."

"We're still friends," she said, taking another drink from her water. "Just not…dating, anymore. I guess."

"What exactly _happened_?"

"Long story short, Wash and York got into a fight and it was my fault."

"Man, I kind of want to meet this York guy," Grif finally said, poking Simmons' arm. "If he's able to get you that riled up, I tip my hat to the guy."

"Shut up," Carolina growled.

"By the way, who's the brunette you never talk about?" Grif asked. "The one in all the photos in your room."

"Brunette? That's _York_."

"No, not the dude, the chick. With the short hair."

"_Oh_, that's CT."

"And why hasn't _she_ visited yet?"

Carolina rolled her eyes. "One, she's busy. Two, she has a boyfriend. Three, _why were you in my room_?"

"He was looking for snacks," Simmons said, punching Grif in the arm.

"Hey! You were helping," Grif complained, rubbing his arm carefully. "And _you're_ the one who was drooling over the other chick. The one with the silver hair."

"Dakota?" Carolina laughed. "_She's_ single, but I don't think you two would be very compatible."

Simmons pouted. "Why the fuck _not_?"

"Because you're really smart and pretty quiet, and Dakota is really outgoing and hates talking about science and politics. She's also super competitive and into sports, whereas you don't care."

"_I'm_ competitive!"

"At video games. Which Dakota thinks are stupid."

Simmons continued pouting as Grif slapped him on the back. "Better stick to the nerdy girls, dude."

"Shut up."

"You said you had a date—how did that go?" Carolina asked, desperate to change the subject. She watched Simmons perk up slightly.

"Pretty well, I think. Wash gave me some tips on how to keep conversation light and they seemed to work, she was pretty into me."

"They made out on the couch, over-the-clothes, no sex," Grif translated with a smirk.

"We have another date tomorrow night!"

"Ooh, maybe she'll let you get to third base next time."

"Like you've even _had_ a date lately!"

"I have one on Saturday, fucktard."

"With who?"

"A girl I met at the grocery store tonight."

"When did you have _time_?"

"When you got busy with the cheeses and I left to find Carolina."

"_Bullshit_."

"For real!" Grif held out his arm and pushed up his sleeve, revealing a phone number written in flowing pen letters with the name 'Stacy' next to it. "Suck it."

"Ew, _no_."

"I'm going to go lie down," Carolina interrupted, folding the last of the paper bags and fitting them into the space under the sink. "It's late and I'm tired of listening to you two bicker."

"Good night," they said in unison, and she left the kitchen as they began to swat at each other, hurling more insults.

**Part 46**

"Have you heard from Carolina lately?"

"Nah, she's been pretty quiet since she went back to New York."

"Yeah."

Dakota stared down at the plate of half-eaten fries now soggy with ketchup. "So how have you been?"

CT grinned. "Brandon's taking me away for the weekend! His family owns a beach house up the coast and we're gonna have a romantic weekend away," she bragged.

"That's awesome! How long have you guys been dating now?"

"Going on six months. I really like this guy." CT swirled her straw in her mixed drink, watching the liquid tumble around the ice. "Brandon is the _sweetest_."

"Yeah, I got the picture of the roses he sent you the other week."

"And for no reason! I love that he does stuff like that."

Dakota rolled her eyes. "_So_ happy for you."

"What about you? Any prospects?"

She shrugged. "Not really. Been sorta seeing someone but not sure where it's going."

"What's his name?"

"Lee."

"Sounds…nice?"

"It's been good."

CT smiled. "As long as you're happy."

"Eh." Dakota tilted her hand back and forth. "We're just friends right now. I think. I don't know."

"How'd you two meet?"

"Mutual friends."

It usually wasn't this hard to get details out of Dakota. "Which friends?"

Dakota shrugged again. "Don't worry about it."

"Come on. The last time you were this secretive about something was when you were hanging out with that girl you met at the club opening like, three years ago. You know you don't have to hide stuff like that from me."

"No, I know. It's just…" Dakota ran a hand through her hair, playing with the tips. _I really need to re-dye the edges_, she thought to herself. "I don't know where it's going yet."

"So it _is_ a girl?"

The fact that Dakota refused to make eye contact pretty much confirmed her suspicions. CT leaned back in her chair and clucked her tongue, getting Dakota's attention.

"Dude, you can date whoever you want, I don't fuckin' care. I think it's cool either way."

"No, I'm not—whatever, I'm not worried about what you think. Or anyone else, really." Dakota frowned, reaching for a fry. "I just haven't met a guy in a while. Whatever. Either way, I just feel guilty because of everything going on with Lina."

"She dug her own grave with that, if you ask me."

"What do you mean?"

CT smiled. "Come on, man. First we thought her and Wash were going to hit it off and that went nowhere, even though it was _totally obvious_ that Wash was _super_ into her. Then she and York start secretly dating? If you can't even tell your best friends about who you're dating, then that relationship is never gonna last."

Dakota shook her head, chewing on the fry. "That's not why it didn't work," she said, swallowing. "York got all crazy intense about things. Didn't you hear about the house?"

"What house?"

"Oh my god, dude, he was going to buy them a _townhouse_. For real."

"Oh my _god_, no wonder Lina ran."

"Yeah. I've known her since college and if there's one thing that freaks her out more than anything else, it's commitment. She just can't handle it, especially something as huge as _that_."

"Man." CT wrinkled her nose. "Then why did she dump Wash?"

"I dunno. Been trying to get him to spill about it since that breakfast but he ain't talking."

CT looked up at all of the Valentine's Day decorations in the restaurant, studying the pink and red cardboard hearts hanging from the rafters. "You think either of them are going to try anything for Valentine's? I mean, it's next week but I haven't heard anything."

Dakota frowned. "I haven't either."

"You have any plans?"

"Nope."

"Yeah, us either. Besides the weekend, of course. I think that's when we're celebrating, since Brandon has to work on the 14th. _Super_ lame."

"Yeah," Dakota agreed, reaching for her beer. "Super lame."

They sat in silence for a moment, munching on mostly-soggy fries and listening to snippets of conversations around them.

"Why did she dump Wash then?" Dakota finally asked. "I thought they were good together. I mean, they seemed more natural than her and York."

"Heh, I actually liked her more with _York_."

"Well, I did too, but at least there was less fighting with Wash. And I hate seeing him so upset—it's like kicking a puppy."

CT smirked. "York has been worse."

"True. He's been a massive dick lately."

"Because Lina's not here to balance him out."

"You think we should try to get her to take back York?"

"I really don't think that's going to happen." CT shrugged, gesturing at the waiter who was passing by. "Hey, can we get our check? Thanks."

The man disappeared and Dakota sighed, poking at the remaining fries. "I just want her to stop moping around."

"Well, the last time I talked to her it seemed like she was doing okay. But that was a couple weeks ago, and her roommates were being annoying in the background, so we didn't really get to talk about much."

"Those guys sound super annoying to live with."

"Yeah, probably."

The waiter brought by the check and CT grabbed it, sticking her tongue out at Dakota. "I can pay this time, I just got paid," she said. Dakota sighed.

"Fine, I get next time. I feel bad."

"Eh, don't worry about it." She folded a few bills in the small folder and set it on the table. "Come on, let's go get some dessert. I'm still hungry."

"Sure," Dakota agreed, grabbing her purse from the back of her chair. She pulled her phone out of the side pocket and checked for messages, seeing that she'd missed a call from Lee. Blushing, she pushed her phone back into the pocket and followed CT outside.

(b)

"So what're you doing for Valentine's Day tomorrow?" Grif asked, eating from a giant tub of popcorn while sitting on the kitchen counter.

Carolina shrugged and continued loading the dishwasher, shuffling a few glasses around to make room. "Nothing. I don't have anyone to celebrate with."

"Aw, that shouldn't stop you. Why don't the three of us go out for sushi?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I was just going to get caught up on homework. You can go with Simmons."

"Ugh, _no_. Then it would look like we're dating or something."

"You guys go out together all the time!"

"Yeah, but not on _Valentine's Day_, that's stupid."

She rolled her eyes. "Good god."

"Hey, I didn't make the rules."

"_What_ rules?"

"I don't know. So, sushi?"

"Isn't Simmons busy? He's been sorta dating that girl, right?"

"Allison? Yeah, but he didn't mention anything about Valentine's Day."

"You should probably ask him before you go making reservations for us or something."

Grif waved his hand. "Eh, whatever."

"Then fine, I'll go with you guys. I haven't had sushi in a while anyway. Just let me know the details. Are we dressing up?"

Grif shrugged. "You can. I'm not gonna."

"Heh, fine." Carolina tossed the dishrag on the counter. "I'm gonna go watch some TV, wanna join?"

"Sure." He hopped off the counter and went over to the couch, picking up the remote. "Anything specific in mind?"

"Nah, let's just channel surf. I need something to take my mind off the holiday and everything."

"That's gonna be pretty hard considering everything on TV is romantic drivel right now."

She realized he was right as they flipped past channel after channel of romantic movies, special holiday-themed episodes, and reruns of seasons of the Bachelor. Carolina rolled her eyes and grabbed at the remote, changing channels more quickly.

"There's got to be _something_ we can watch." Finally they landed on a rerun of the movie 'Aliens' and she settled back, tossing the remote on the table. "Awesome, perfectly suited for the mood."

Grif wrinkled his nose. "Dude, really? You _like_ this crap?"

"Don't _even_ start dissing Hicks and Hudson," Carolina replied, reaching over to swat him on the arm. He laughed in response, shoveling more popcorn into his mouth.

"Fine, whatever. Better than you moping around."

"I haven't been moping...have I?"

Grif shrugged. "A little, but it's understandable, I guess. When was the last time you talked to either of the guys?"

"A couple weeks ago. Well, I talked to Wash, anyway. York is apparently refusing to talk to me."

"You tried calling him?"

"Yeah, and he's not answering my calls. Real mature."

"Give the guy a break. You crushed his heart, he's gonna have to recover from that."

"How do _you_ know what happened?"

More popcorn being chewed filled the silence. "Wash," Grif said finally. "He talked to Simmons, who told me. Sorry."

"I just can't handle being teased, so please, keep that in mind."

"Hey, I haven't teased you _yet_, and I wasn't _going_ to, but thanks for the confidence."

"I just know better, sorry."

"Yeah, I probably would have warned me too." Grif offered her the popcorn and she grabbed a handful, watching it settle in her palm.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Now let's watch the aliens rip apart the good guys."

"Sounds great."

(b)

A light knock on her door woke Carolina the next morning and she looked at the clock, realizing it was nearly eleven in the morning. She'd apparently slept through her first class and as she looked over at the door, trying to figure out why someone was knocking, she made the decision to just write off the day since she wasn't in the mood to rush to her next class.

"Come in," she called out, glancing down to make sure her tank top was adjusted properly. She'd quickly learned that she had to sleep with clothes on when rooming with Grif and Simmons, who liked to wander in and out of her room at strange hours to bitch about each other.

The door opened carefully and Simmons stuck his head inside with a smile. "Morning," he greeted.

"Hey. Why aren't you at work?"

"We're having a Valentine's Day party and I have zero desire to see awkward mid-forties professionals flirt with each other over fruit punch and cupcakes," Simmons replied. "Why aren't you at school?"

"Apparently my body decided I needed the day off more than the knowledge," she said, shrugging. "What's up?"

"Oh, I just saw this at the door and figured you hadn't heard the doorbell." He pushed the door open a little further so he could fit through with a long thin box. "It's addressed to you."

"Oh, thanks." She held out her hands and he handed it to her. Upon inspection of the label, she saw that it was from a flower company. "Aw, Simmons, you didn't have to."

"Yeah, I didn't. And neither did Grif, I already called to ask him. Open it!"

She reached over to her bedside table and picked up a pair of scissors, running the blade along the tape sealing the box. She pried it open and saw two red roses lying in a bed of green tissue paper with a folded paper note wedged between them.

Simmons chuckled. "Aw, that's sweet. Who sent it?"

"I don't know." She picked up the note and flipped it open, reading it. "Uh, apparently they're from York. '_Happy Valentine's Day, hope you have a great day. York_.'"

"Eloquent."

"Yeah."

"Well, at least he tried?" Simmons offered. "Want me to put them in a vase? I'm sure we have something around that will work."

"Sure, I think there's one under the kitchen sink. Thanks." She handed him the box, keeping the card in her hand. Simmons closed the door behind him as he left and she leaned back against her pillow, studying the words on the card. A small smile worked its way across her lips.

**Part 47**

Carolina had an hour before she had to leave for the airport to pick up North and Maine, and had no idea what to do with herself. It was too early in the morning to consider taking a nap, and it wasn't late enough for lunch. Grif and Simmons had both decided to go into work late that day, and were sitting on the couch playing Call of Duty as usual.

"Come on, play a round with us," Grif called out, munching on a slice of cake that she'd made the night before.

"Are you seriously eating the cake I made for _my_ _friends_?" she asked. He swallowed quickly and shook his head.

"Uh, no?"

She glared at him and Simmons cut in before she could throw an insult at him. "Come on, play a round. Maybe shooting Grif in the head will calm you down."

"Yeah, fine." She sat down on the couch with them and Simmons handed her a controller. Grif laughed as he resumed their previous game.

"Okay, since you're new, I'll take it easy on you. What you want to do first is _what the fuck_?!" His side of the screen went black as his character was instantly killed by a headshot.

"Probably a lucky shot," Simmons said as Carolina's character trudged around a corner, taking aim again.

"Yeah, I guess. Okay, fine, what I was trying to say was—_oh my god what the shit_?" Grif shrieked as he got shot in the head again. He looked over to see Carolina snickering. "You fucking _bitch_. You've _played_ this, haven't you?"

"York may have taught me a thing or two about Call of Duty," she replied. "Look out!"

Grif yelped as his soldier flew up in the air ten feet, blown up by a grenade. "_Jesus Christ_!"

"This is the best game _ever_," Simmons said, choking on laughter. "He spawned over at the tower! Go, go!"

"_God damn it Simmons_!"

(b)

Carolina waited outside North and Maine's scheduled gate arrival, leaning on a statue nearby. She'd managed to score a bunch of kills on Grif, effectively increasing Simmons' gamer score, which pleased him greatly. Finally she'd had to leave, and Grif was busy sulking in the corner of the couch when she left.

"Carolina!"

She looked up to see North flailing at the gate exit, dropping his bags on the ground, nearly causing Maine to trip over them. She grinned and ran over, and the two of them crashed into each other in a bear hug.

"North! I've missed you!"

"Oh my god I have _so much to tell you_! I missed you so much!" He hugged her tightly until a hand came between their shoulders, prying them apart.

"Stop hogging her," Maine said, smiling. Carolina let go of North and grabbed onto Maine, snuggling against his chest.

"Missed you more," she whispered. She felt his chest rumble with a laugh and he pat her head.

"I know," he whispered back. "Missed you too."

"Come on, I want to see your place! And then I want to see _everything_!" North said, spinning in a small circle. "We're in _New York_!"

"It's really not _that_ exciting," Carolina tried to say, but Maine shook his head.

"Let him have this," he said with a smile. She grinned and nodded.

"Okay, so let's go drop off your stuff at my place and you can relax for a bit. The flight was probably pretty long."

"It was fine, we're good!" North grabbed her arm and started marching her towards the nearest exit. "To _New York_!"

(b)

"Okay, that is _enough walking_," Carolina complained, flopping down on their couch. North stood in the doorway, pouting.

"But we barely _went _anywhere!"

"I took you around Times Square and Central Park, and that's enough for today," she insisted, propping her feet up on the armrest of the couch. "Besides, _how_ are you so awake? Your flight was at, like, midnight so you've been up all night too."

"He slept on the plane," Maine replied, collapsing onto the other end of the couch. "I need a break."

"You guys _suck_," North complained. "I'm not even tired."

"You're gonna be. Go lay down in my bed."

"_No_."

"Actually, did you guys book a hotel room? I never asked."

Maine nodded, rubbing his neck. "Yeah, it's quite a few miles from here. We'll catch a cab in a bit. I need to sit though."

North sat down on the floor in front of the couch, propping his chin up on his knees. "So, have you heard the latest gossip?" he asked Carolina, who shook her head.

"I haven't talked to anyone lately, what's going on?"

"Wash and York are _talking_."

She sat up a little with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"As in, they apparently don't hate each other anymore."

"What happened?"

"I don't really know. They just…started talking again. CT told me she ran into them at the grocery store a couple weeks back, and they were, like, just shopping together. Strange."

"That's weird. Wash didn't mention anything."

"When did you last talk to him?"

"A few days ago, we were talking about things I could show you when you guys got here. He was acting normally, at least from what I could tell." Carolina rubbed her eyes sleepily. "I still haven't even talked to York since January."

"It's the middle of March! Seriously? He hasn't called you or _anything_?"

She shook her head. "I've tried calling him but he never picks up. But he _did_ send me roses on Valentine's Day."

"Really?" Now Maine was interested in what they were talking about, looking over at her.

"Yeah. Two red roses. And a little card that just said to have a nice day, nothing else. I thought that was weird. Sweet, but weird."

"It is," Maine agreed, smiling a little. "Very interesting."

North shrugged, picking at the carpet. "So where are your roommates? I was looking forward to meeting them."

"Yeah, they probably got stuck at work, sorry." They had been gone when they got back in the morning too; the game had been abandoned and the cake was half-eaten, to Carolina's annoyance. "I'm sure they'll be home soon."

"We can probably wait until tomorrow. I guess we should go get our room." North yawned widely.

"Dude, I told you, you were gonna be exhausted."

Maine stood up and helped North to his feet, letting him rest on his shoulder. "Come on, sweetie, let's go find the hotel."

"Mmm. Fine. G'night, Carolina."

"Good night, guys. Call me when you're awake in the morning."

"Will do," Maine promised, reaching down with his other hand to grab his bag. "North, babe, you gotta help me out here. I can't carry everything."

North slumped away from Maine and managed to pick up his bag, groaning with exhaustion. They left and Carolina went into her room, closing the door. She sat on her bed and looked at the picture of Wash that she'd turned over months earlier, reaching out to right it again. Wash's smile beamed up at her and she smiled back, wondering he was doing right then.


	25. Chapter 25

**Part 48**

"So where are we going for dinner tonight?" North asked as the three of them sat down on a bench near the north end of Central Park to watch passersby.

"I don't know, I can suggest some places."

"I already picked a place," Maine said. "It's called Perilla."

"Oh, wow, I've heard of that place and I _know_ I can't afford it," Carolina replied. "Unless you're gonna pay for all of us, heh."

"Yeah, that was the plan."

"Oh."

"Maine has money," North assured her. "Trust fund baby, didn't you know that?"

"Uh, no, I didn't," she said, looking at Maine. He nodded.

"Don't worry about it. Really."

"Okay, if you're sure."

"I am."

"Okay!" North clapped his hands together. "We should head back and get ready then. When are the reservations? I would love to take a nap, I'm exhausted."

"Seven o'clock," Maine said, checking his watch. It was only four in the afternoon, so they had plenty of time. "I had something I wanted to do first, so why don't we go back to the hotel and Carolina can have some time to herself?"

"Sounds great!" North stood up, brushing off his jeans. "Let's go!" He took off walking as Maine and Carolina stood up. He reached out and brushed his hand against her arm, stopping her.

"Tonight," he said in a quiet voice. She raised an eyebrow.

"Already?"

"Can't wait any longer," he said with a smile.

"Oh my god, this is so exciting!" she said, trying to look casual as they started walking to catch up to North, who was busy taking pictures of the skyline.

"So we'll meet you there?" Maine asked as they approached North.

She nodded. "Yeah, no need to waste money by coming to get me."

"Great, let's go," North said, pulling on Maine's arm. "I'm tired and want a _nap_." He winked at Carolina and she groaned.

"Come on, I don't need to know that."

"I could use a nap too," Maine said with a chuckle.

"You guys _suck_."

North was about to answer the obvious way but Maine shook his head. "We'll see you later," he said, waving down a taxi. As they climbed in she gave them a little wave.

"See you later!"

(b)

Simmons and Grif were gone when she got home, which was normal, since they usually worked until around five o'clock every day. She went to her closet and began to rifle through the fancier clothes she had, with no idea what the hell she was going to wear. Perilla was a super fancy restaurant and she hadn't been prepared for that sort of occasion on their trip.

Finally she settled on a flared black skirt and a fitted turquoise blue blouse, realizing it was probably an outfit more suited for a job interview, but she didn't want to wear a dress since it was still cold outside. She grabbed a pair of black pumps and tossed them into the hallway for later, sitting down on her bed to stare at the wall.

Carolina sighed, kicking the box spring underneath her mattress. She'd texted York a thank you for the roses on Valentine's Day, but he'd never responded. She didn't feel comfortable bringing it up to Wash, so she never confided in him. A lot of time had been spent thinking to herself about her decision on New Year's Eve. She still wasn't confident she'd made the right choice after all.

The more she tried to ignore her lingering feelings the more they cropped up in unexpected ways, like swearing that she saw York on the street, or catching the faint scent of his aftershave as she walked through a department store. She missed Wash as well, but it was a different sort of feeling she had towards him; thinking of York still managed to stir up emotions she thought were long gone. It was extra frustrating that he seemingly never wanted to talk to her again, and she'd assumed the flowers were a peace offering. Apparently not.

She lay back on the bed to stare at the ceiling. _Why send me roses if you won't talk to me?_ Carolina sighed heavily, closing her eyes after a moment. _Is this just a game to you? Are you still upset about Wash? Why are you two talking again?_ Too many questions were running through her head and she couldn't focus on just one, giving herself a headache. Finally she fell asleep, after remembering to lean over and set her alarm so she'd get up in time to get ready.

(b)

Carolina stepped out of the cab and closed the door behind her, smoothing her skirt. She glanced up at the Perilla logo hanging above the doorway and swallowed, knowing this was probably the only time she was ever going to get to eat at such a fancy restaurant. She was there five minutes to seven and hoped she was the first one there; she hated being late to a group get-together, even if it _was_ only Maine and North.

Taking a deep breath she pulled open the heavy oak-lined door and stepped inside, her heels clicking against the wooden flooring. After a second she realized it was oddly quiet for dinner time and it took her an extra few seconds to comprehend that no one else was in the restaurant—it was completely empty, save for a waiter behind the wall-length bar.

"Welcome!" A hostess appeared from nowhere and gestured to one of the booths along the other wall. "I'm Tiffany, I'll be your hostess tonight. Can I seat you? You're the first to arrive."

"Um. Yeah. Sure. Thanks." Carolina looked around, bewildered. "Uh, what's going on? Where is everyone?"

"Your host rented out the entire restaurant for tonight," Tiffany replied, taking her coat from her. "Go ahead and sit pretty much anywhere, I'm sure the others will be here soon. Do you know when they may be arriving?"

"Yeah, no," she replied, shaking her head as she sat down. "Sorry, no one told me. This is sort of excessive for just three of us."

"Three?" Tiffany repeated. "I thought—oh, hello!" The door chimed again as Carolina set her purse down next to her, reaching for a water glass on the table. Tiffany had already scurried off and Carolina realized there were way too many glasses of water for just the three of them. At the sound of a throat clearing, her head snapped up to see Wash smiling down at her.

"Hey there," he greeted, barely able to get the words out as Carolina leapt from the table, crushing him in a hug.

"Oh my _god_ what are you _doing here_?" she practically shrieked.

"I'm part of the entourage," he replied, peeling her off of himself. "Did you not get the memo?"

"_What_? I—" Carolina let out another shriek to match those of CT and Dakota as they came running through the restaurant, the three of them crashing together in a giant group hug. She felt like she was going to faint as the other two girls started chattering about how amazing it was to see her again, already comparing outfits and skin tone (Carolina had gotten paler since moving away). She noticed a young woman with short blonde hair standing off to the side of the group, looking entirely uncomfortable and out of place in a long white skirt and red blouse. She recognized CT's boyfriend Brandon standing nearby as well, looking just as uncomfortable. North and Maine walked into the restaurant and North stopped just inside the doorway, looking confused.

"What the _fuck_—"

"_Surprise_!" Wash exclaimed, grinning at North. "Maine flew us all out to surprise you and Carolina!"

"All?" Carolina said. "But—"

"Hey, you."

She turned to see York standing behind her, apparently having snuck around the side of the group as she'd been talking to the girls. He was dressed up in a suit with the familiar cream-yellow tie, his hair sticking up a little, and was smiling crookedly at her.

"Oh," was all she could manage, not able to mentally handle the fact that he was finally talking to her, much less that was less than two feet away.

"That's all I get after three months?" he asked, the skin around his eyes crinkling with amusement as his smile grew. "'_Oh'_?"

"Sorry, I mean, uh, hey there."

"Clearly New York hasn't been great for your language skills," he chided.

"You've been ignoring my calls and the first thing you do is make fun of me?" The familiar pang of gentle anger was building up in her chest.

"_Have_ you been calling? My phone must be acting up." He avoided her look and nodded at the others. "Sure nice of Maine to fly us all out. Can't complain about the free vacation."

"I even thanked you for the flowers," Carolina said quietly.

"Flowers? _What_ flowers?"

The look of confusion on his face as he knit his brow made her frown. "Seriously? Are you just messing with me? Because that's just—"

"Lina, come on!" Wash interrupted them, taking her elbow to guide her away. "We have a toast all ready to go."

"Wash, I—"

York was at her back, gently pressing a hand to her lower back to push her towards the group congregating at the bar. North handed her a half-filled champagne flute and she took it gratefully, realizing Wash's hand was still on her elbow at the same time York was holding her.

_Yeah, this isn't awkward _atall.

"A toast."

They all turned to look at Maine, who easily towered over the rest of them. He held a flute against his chest and looked at North, who was leaning against his arm. "We're listening," Dakota called out, and Carolina noticed her fingers were interlaced with those of the blonde girl in the red blouse.

"Thanks to all of you for coming out here," Maine began. "You're all my closest friends, or hopefully you soon will be." He nodded in the direction of Brandon and the girl, and Carolina noticed Grif and Simmons lingering near the group. "Let's eat some food and get caught up." He lifted the flute and everyone else followed suit, clinking their glasses together. Wash moved away to talk to Maine but York kept his hand on Carolina's back, sipping his champagne.

"Pretty good," he remarked, smiling down at her. She shook her head and stepped away, approaching Dakota and the girl.

"Hey, I'm Carolina," she said, sticking out her hand. "I don't think we've met?"

Dakota blushed slightly pink and coughed a little. "Oh god, sorry. Uh, Carolina, this is Lee. Lee, this is my best friend Carolina."

"It's great to meet you," Lee said, taking her hand in a firm grip. "This is all a little overwhelming, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I believe it. I know all these jerks and I'm still overwhelmed." Carolina smiled at her and nodded towards North and Maine. "Those two are why we're all here, obviously."

"Oh, no, I know. I actually know them really well," Lee said with a smile. "I've been friends with North for a few years through work, and he introduced me to Maine after they started dating. I'm so happy for them, they're adorable."

"Oh, I see." She watched Lee lean against Dakota's arm, winking at her.

"I'm going to go talk to Maine for a second," she said. "See you later?"

"Yeah, of course." Carolina watched her walk away and she turned to Dakota, who was staring after her.

"So…she's pretty."

"Yeah she is." Dakota turned her attention back to Carolina and smiled. "Sorry I didn't tell you, it's sort of…new."

"Nah, I get it. Just don't let her crush you like that bitch Katie did back in sophomore year."

"Oh man, I'd forgotten about her." Dakota winced. "Yeah, she _was_ a bitch."

"How long have you been dating?"

Dakota shrugged. "Couple months, sort of. North introduced us a few months ago, but both of us were too busy to hang out. We were friends for a little while, and then one night we went out for drinks and ended up talking all night and just…clicked. I like her."

"She seems nice."

"She's actually a lot like you once you get to know her. Super sarcastic and likes to make fun of people. That's probably why we get along so well."

"I don't know if I should be offended or flattered." Carolina made a face and Dakota laughed, smacking her on the arm.

"_Flattered_, dipshit. Come on, let's go get trashed on free drinks."

She glanced over at York, who was still looking at her with a strange look on his face. "Sounds good to me."

(b)

"I'm _so confused_," Carolina said, knocking Maine on the shoulder. "When did you plan this?"

"Last month," he replied, eyeing the booth where North was sitting, chatting with Simmons and CT. "I wanted everyone here, so I booked tickets for everyone. I had your roommates pick the others up earlier this afternoon; we're all staying at the same hotel. Different rooms, of course."

"How did you get in touch with Grif and Simmons?"

"Wash gave me Simmons' phone number. You're the only one that knows the real reason we're all here though." Maine sipped his champagne. "Everyone else just thinks it was a surprise for _you_. That's the only way I got York to agree to come."

"Really?"

"He kept trying to get out of it until I said we were visiting _you_ specifically. Then he was suddenly _all about_ New York. For North and me, of course, he kept saying."

"Of course." She glanced over to where York was talking with Dakota and Lee, and caught him looking back at her. She dropped her gaze and turned her attention back to Maine. "So when are you doing it?"

"After dinner." The servers were moving around swiftly, arranging place settings on a few of the tables. "Which should be soon. I ordered a little of everything, so make sure you try some new things. I've heard everything is delicious." He smiled at her and reached down to pat her shoulder. "And thank you."

"For what?"

"For being a wonderful friend." Maine leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm glad we've gotten to know each other."

It was hard to believe he was the same man who barely said a word to her when they met over a year earlier. He had slowly opened up and was perfectly capable of talking to his heart's content, though only to a select few people. Carolina was glad she was one of them, knowing that most of their friends were still slightly afraid of him. "You're an amazing person, putting up with all of our crap," she replied with a smile.

"I know." He chuckled and walked away to inspect a plate of scallops that had appeared on one of the tables. Seeing an opportunity, York began to walk over but stopped as Wash grabbed Carolina's arm, pulling her away towards an empty booth.

"Hey, I need to talk to you about something," he said quietly, motioning for her to sit. She did, and he slid in next to her, leaning in.

"What's going on?" she whispered back.

"So, I kind of did something that you probably are going to get mad at me about, but I figured I should tell you before you say something that might be taken the wrong way to the wrong person."

"Wash, please tell me _what_ you are babbling about. No, wait," she interrupted as he opened his mouth again. "I want to know how you and York are friends again."

"Wait, what?"

"North told me. CT ran into you guys at the grocery store, hanging out together. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh, the grocery store? That was…just random. We just ran into each other, that's all."

"Wash, you're the worst liar in the world."

"No I'm not."

"Yes, you really are. Come on."

"I'm not lying! We really _did_ just run into each other!"

Carolina sighed. "Fine, I'll find out the truth eventually either way. So, what did you want to tell me?"

He started to talk but was interrupted again by Maine tapping a wine glass with a knife. "Can I have everyone's attention for a minute?"

Everyone stopped talking and gathered around the booth where North was sitting, and Maine was standing at the end of the booth chair. North had a mouthful of food but quickly swallowed it, wiping his face with a napkin as he blushed at all the sudden attention.

"I wanted to thank everyone for indulging me and coming on this trip," Maine began, smiling as he set down the glass and knife. "This is the first time either of us has been to New York, and I'm grateful Carolina lives here so we have the excuse to visit. I'm sure you all appreciate the free trip, but remember, I'm not paying for souvenirs, so don't even ask."

"I think this is the most I've ever heard him talk," Carolina heard Dakota mumble, and cracked a smile.

"Anyway," he continued, turning to North, who looked confused. "I actually had a reason for wanting everyone here. North." He nodded at Maine, turning slightly pink. "I don't think you know how much I love you, and even though I say it all the time, it's not nearly enough to just tell you. Besides, words cannot express how deep our love runs."

"Aw, babe," North said quietly, grinning like an idiot.

"Since I met you at that little grocery store, arguing over which cheese paired better with salami, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I never thought you'd give me a chance, especially after I nearly threatened to break your arm if you didn't pick the cheese I recommended." Everyone laughed nervously and Maine shook his head. "You've changed me, North. And I'm grateful for that. I've become a different, better person for it, all because of you. I love that I've met so many interesting people because of you, and all of your friends—_my_ friends now, as well." He turned to smile at everyone, nodding at Carolina as he made eye contact with her. "We wouldn't be where we are without them, one in particular."

Carolina felt herself turn red and she tried to blend into the crowd, but Wash pushed her forward. "Uh, you're welcome," she said awkwardly.

"We would have broken up last year if it hadn't been for you, Lina." Maine reached over and squeezed her arm. "Thank you for being such a great friend, and caring so much about North. We're so lucky to have you in our lives."

"Get on with it," York called out, sipping his wine as he smiled at Carolina.

"Right. North, I wanted to ask you a question, and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to find the right words." He bent at the knee and leaned against the booth chair, reaching into his suit jacket pocket. A moment later he pulled out a small ring box and popped it open, holding it out to North, whose face had drained of color in that instant. "Sweetie, I know we joke about being married, but I want to move past the jokes and marry you for real. John, will you marry me?"

Dead silence filled the restaurant as North blinked a few times, as though trying to regain his composure. A few seconds later he scooted forward in the booth, plucking the ring out of the box. It looked like a solid platinum band, and he slid it onto his ring finger, a grin breaking out on his face.

"Is yours going to be gold? Because gold is definitely _your_ color," he finally said. Maine laughed and straightened, helping North out of the booth to dip him down in a passionate kiss. Everyone started cheering as they continued kissing, Maine scooping him up, North's arms locked around Maine's neck.

The restaurant broke out in noise once again as people started going up to the couple to congratulate them, breaking off into smaller groups to talk amongst themselves. Wash pulled Carolina aside for a second, holding her elbow tightly.

"York doesn't know about the roses," he said in a low whisper.

"But he—wait, how do _you_ know about—"

"Don't yell at me—I sent them."

"_Wash_!"

"He wasn't going to do it himself, so I decided to try to fix things. Don't yell," he repeated.

"Oh, I'm gonna do _more_ than _yell_—"

"Just shut up and say 'Thank you, Wash.' I gotta go. Explain later." He let go of her arm as York sidled up to them, giving Wash a strange look as he ducked away.

"Well, _that_ was adorable," York said with a smile, nodding towards Maine and North, who were holding each other tightly, grins threatening to leap off their faces. "I've never heard Maine talk so much."

"He's quite the conversationalist once you get to know him," Carolina replied, unable to look York in the face.

"Is he, now? At least he looks at people when they're talking."

Her cheeks burned as she raised her head to look at York. He wasn't smiling any longer. "Sorry."

"Do you want to know why I've been avoiding you since New Year's?" he asked.

"Yes, I would."

He leaned in, close enough that their cheeks were nearly touching. She could feel his warm breath on her skin and suppressed a shiver. "That's a secret," he whispered, and she felt his lips brush against her cheek in a smile.

Before she could form words in her mind to reply, he was gone.

(b)

The rest of the evening passed in the blink of an eye as Maine and North cuddled in a booth, pretty much ignoring everyone else. Carolina lost track of how many times someone tapped their wineglass to make them kiss. She'd seen Dakota and Lee in a corner booth talking quietly and smiled, glad that Dakota had found someone. CT was sharing a plate of desserts with Brandon, and Wash was talking to Grif and Simmons, each of them passing around small plates with food to try different things. York had disappeared somewhere and she hadn't seen him since after the proposal.

"Does anyone want to see the upstairs outdoor patio?" one of the waiters called out, gesturing towards a door at the back of the restaurant. When no one replied, Carolina shrugged and waved her arm.

"I will," she replied, walking over to the door. The waiter smiled at her and held out her coat.

"It's a little chilly outside, so here you go." She took the coat and slipped it on over her arms, buttoning it partway.

"Thanks."

"Just up the stairs and through the second door," he told her, and she nodded her understanding. He held open the door and she stepped through, her heels clicking against the stairs as she climbed up the short flight. She pushed open the second door and blinked, surrounded by twinkling patio lights and small tables with flickering candles in small round glasses.

"Sorry, I'll get back down to the party."

She heard York's apology before she saw him, finally locating him leaning against the patio railing on the far side. Walking over, she pulled her coat a little more tightly around herself.

"No, it's fine. I needed a break too."

"Oh, Carolina. Sorry, assumed you were someone else trying to drag me back down there." York reached up to play with the tips of his hair. It was beginning to get a little shaggy, she noticed. "Mind if I stay up here a bit longer? It's really pretty."

The sky was filled with clouds but the moon was peeking through, shining just brightly enough to bounce off the rooftops around them. The building was low but the neighborhood was filled with low buildings as well, so they could see pretty far, watching as traffic blared past them and groups of people walked by. She checked her watch, realizing it was past ten o'clock already—they'd been eating and celebrating for so long, she'd lost track of time.

"Yeah, you can stay. I'll just go back down."

"You don't have to go just because _I'm_ here," he said.

"No, it's fine, it's kind of cold anyway," she replied, gesturing to her coat. "I can—"

Her words were cut off as York pulled her close, situating his hand around her waist, hugging her to his side. "There, now you can warm up," he said quietly.

"Thanks…I guess."

"Not a big deal."

They stood in silence for a few minutes, admiring the view.

"York—"

"Hey—"

She chuckled as he smiled down at her. "Go ahead," he said.

"No, you first."

York sighed. "I'm sorry about earlier. That wasn't fair of me to blow you off like that."

"It's fine. It was almost nice."

"How so?"

"It was almost like…things were back to normal between us. I guess. Sort of, anyway. It's hard to explain." Carolina shrugged, her shoulder hitting his arm. "I miss…this. I miss talking to you."

"I miss it too."

"Then why have you been avoiding me?"

"That's the million dollar question, isn't it?" York let go of her and pressed his hands to the metal railing, gripping tightly. She watched the skin of his knuckles turn white as the pressure increased. "Truth is, I don't really know."

"How do you not _know_?"

"Look, at first I was avoiding you because I was angry. _So_ angry, and for good reason. You destroyed me, Carolina. We could never just go back to the way things were."

"York—"

"Please, let me finish." He eased his grip slightly and she watched his skin turn a faint rosy shade. "I keep thinking back to life before I knew you. Before you, I was…fine. I was happy. I was single, but I was dating, and Wash and North were my best friends. And then…nearly two years ago, at that bar, everything changed. I met _you_. You _changed_ me, and for the better. God, fucking _Maine_ pretty much stole _everything_ I was going to say earlier."

She reached out and touched the back of his hand, lightly pressing her fingertips against his skin. He smiled sadly and loosened his grip a little more. "Now that I've lost you, I feel…alone. Everywhere I go, everything I see, it all reminds me of you just a little bit more, chipping away at me as though taunting me. 'Look what _you_ _fucked_ _up_, York. _This_ is why she left.' I'm lonely, all the time. And I couldn't bring myself to admit it before, but I _need_ you, Carolina. I _need_ you in my life. I don't care what happened with Wash. I don't care anymore, because it _doesn't matter_."

"But we _can't_ go back to the way things were," Carolina said, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from crying.

"That doesn't matter. We can _start over_."

"Both of us will always be comparing what we have _now_ to what we had _before_. I don't want to have that pressure hanging over us."

York shook his head. "No, you're not understanding. I don't want to leap back into a relationship. Honestly, I don't think I _could_, even if I wanted to. What I _want_ is for you to fulfill your promise to me."

"My promise?"

"Something to hold onto. Just a little bit of hope, _something_ that I could hold onto—you promised me you'd give me that much."

She thought back and nodded, realizing they were now holding hands. "No, I remember. And I tried to keep that promise. I tried to call you, but you've been avoiding me for months now. Do you realize how much that hurts?"

"I'm sorry," York whispered, squeezing her hand lightly. "I'm so incredibly sorry. I was feeling so sorry for myself that I wasn't thinking about how you were feeling."

"See, that's the _problem_, York. That's been one of our biggest problems all along—both of us do things for ourselves and we don't stop to consider how those things affect each _other_. The house, my school—sometimes its big things but it's also the small stuff. I can't go on pretending that it doesn't bother me."

"We can _change_, Lina." She flinched at the use of the nickname. "We can change each other, I _know _we can."

"I even thanked you for the flowers," she whispered. "The ones you didn't even _send_. I thought you were trying to make an effort, but it wasn't even _you_."

"Seriously, I have _no idea_ what flowers you're talking about."

"Wash sent me roses on Valentine's Day," she said, looking him straight in the eye. "From _you_."

York's face paled. "What?"

"I don't know why, he didn't explain. I didn't know this until tonight."

"Then…that text from you, the day after, thanking me for the flowers. I thought…I don't know why, but I thought that was a _joke_, or something. I should have called you." He pulled his hand out of her grip and smashed it against the railing, his arm shaking. "_I should have fucking called you_."

"You didn't know—"

"_Fuck_!" York yelled, pounding the railing again. "This is all _Wash's fault_, we talked, he apologized for everything, but that didn't matter—he was _still _trying to fuck things up between us!"

"Sending me flowers from _you_, how was _that_ going to fuck things up? If anything, it was probably supposed to _help_, if you'd _called_!" Carolina could feel the situation spinning out of control, but didn't know how to fix it.

"No, he still loves you, and he wants to see me _lose_. Well, I'm not _going to_," he growled, flexing his hand. "I've gotta go."

"York, please don't do something stupid—"

"I'm not going to, I just want to talk to him, I just need to—"

Carolina reached up and pressed her hands to York's cheeks, forcing him to stop his rant and look down at her. She raised herself up and lightly brushed their lips together, stroking his cheekbones as they kissed. His arms were quickly wrapped around her waist, pulling them together as he kissed her back, giving more pressure on the return kiss than she'd expected.

They stood together for a few moments, exchanging increasingly-passionate kisses. Carolina was the first to pull away, breathing heavily, listening to York's rapid breathing as her mind raced to catch up.

_Fuck, why did I _do _that_?

"Lina."

They locked eyes and she moved one hand to trace the faded white scars around his left eye. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"No, you don't understand. I can't—I can't do this right now." She pushed away from him and grabbed the edges of her coat, pulling it around herself. "I can't—I've got to go." Turning quickly she practically ran to the door leading back into the restaurant, leaving York standing next to the railing.


	26. Chapter 26

**Part 49**

"I have no idea what I did wrong."

"You _know_ that's a lie."

"Look, I didn't ask you to meet me so you could lecture me."

"Do you even _realize_ you're taking precious vacation time away from _both_ of us right now?"

York slammed a hand down on the table, causing Wash to jump half a foot in his chair. "Just tell me why you sent the fucking flowers in my name."

"Wow, I _really_ have to spell everything out for you, don't I?" Wash stood up and walked over to the hotel bed, flopping down on the stiff comforter. "You're such an idiot."

"Shut up and talk."

"I sent the roses _for you_ because I knew you were never going to make a move to fix things between you two. And obviously I was right—you've been avoiding her this entire time? How fucking stupid _are you_?"

York glared down at the table, cracking his knuckles. "What was I supposed to do, just call her? After all that time of avoiding her?"

"_Yes_!"

"I have _some_ pride left, believe it or not."

"God _damn it_, York, this isn't about your fucking _pride_. It's about you trying to get Lina back, you cockbite."

"I'm going to punch you if you keep insulting me."

"_Someone_ has to! You're being a complete baby about all of this! What's so fucking hard about just _talking to her_?"

"It's harder than you think."

"It's _really_ not. Fuck, even _I_ made a move when you two were still together, and you know how hard it is for me to talk to girls."

York turned his head to level a threatening look at Wash, who had just realized what he had said. "And you remember how _that_ turned out?"

"Okay, forget I said that." Wash sat up. "Anyway, I really think you should just talk to her."

"How do I know you're not going to try to steal her away again?"

Wash sighed as he stood up, stretching his arms over his head. "Okay, let me explain something to you," he said, walking back over to the small table. He stood next to York and placed his hands on York's shoulders, squeezing somewhat roughly until he let out a pained grunt. "I want you to listen carefully. Are you listening?"

"If you fucking _let go_ I'll listen."

Wash moved his hands to his waist and waited for York to rotate the chair around to face him, crossing his arms over his chest. "Ready," York said.

"I'm bowing out."

"You're…bowing out. Of what, exactly?"

"I've come to a decision, which is that I want Carolina to be happy no matter what the cost. As I've come to figure out, _my_ feelings towards her are the cost."

"We can barely go two minutes without fighting," York protested.

"I _know_ that. I _also_ know that she loves you more than she's ever loved anyone else. I could see it yesterday at dinner. I could see it every time we were all in the same room together. I could see it every time she _talked_ about you, even if she was angry, even when _we_ were dating."

"You're so full of shit."

"York, stop being a dumbass and just _go to her_. I don't care what she says about needing more time, or whatever excuse she has lined up. _You two should be together_, and maybe if you could see that, you'd be a lot happier."

"I've _only_ wanted to be with her. It's _her_ fault that things fell apart."

"It's _her_ fault you tried to surprise her with a _house_? It's _her_ fault you tried to fix things with a _marriage proposal_? Did you _never_ figure out that giant gestures were _not_ the way to her heart?"

"I was _desperate_—"

"I don't _care_." Wash stared down at him with a stern look. "I want you to meet her for dinner _tonight_. I'll tell her that I have a surprise for her or something, but I want _you two_ to talk. I don't even care about what, just start talking and I'm sure something will start the healing process."

"Is this why you started talking to me again?"

"I made this decision after she dumped both of us on New Year's Eve. I could see how it tore her to shreds when you were begging her to stay. I knew then and there that I needed to help fix what I had started but let fall apart."

"You're not a fairy godmother," York muttered. Wash brought his leg up and stomped on the chair showing between York's legs, dangerously close to his 'special area.' York jumped and whimpered.

"I'm whoever the fuck I _need_ to be to make my friends happy," Wash growled, leaning down to be face-to-face with York.

"So…where're we going for dinner?"

(b)

York fidgeted as he looked at himself in the mirror, having decided to dress casually for dinner, wearing a simple pair of jeans and a long-sleeved green shirt. His hair was sticking up slightly, but he didn't really have the energy to deal with it right then. The phone in his pocket beeped with a text message and he pulled it out to read it. Wash was informing him that Carolina was on her way to their hotel room under the assumption that Wash needed a ride to dinner. York fired off an angry text along the lines of 'thanks for the ambush' and contemplating leaving. The thought of Wash giving him another lecture like before quickly scared him out of the idea.

Which was why he was hiding in the bathroom when the knock on the door echoed through the hotel room.

"Wash? Hey, let me in, I'm starving. Let's go."

"Gimme a sec," York called out, trying to raise his voice slightly to sound like Wash, hoping the walls were thick enough to muffle his voice for effect.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"You know what, why don't we just get room service or something? I don't really feel like going out. Come on, open the door."

York swore quietly and stood up from where he'd been sitting on the edge of the tub. With his hand on the door handle he psyched himself up and turned it, swinging open the door to see Carolina standing there, her arms crossed in front of her, tapping her foot on the carpeted hallway floor. She wasn't especially dressed up, wearing jeans and a fitted cerulean blue sweater, her red hair pulled up into a messy bun atop her head. He realized he was staring at her as she looked up to see York standing there and jumped a little, a frown creasing her face.

"Is Wash in there?"

"Uh, don't get mad, but he's not."

"He texted me to come get him. Where is he?"

"Yeah, that was kind of a set-up. You're actually here to meet _me_."

Carolina rolled her eyes and sighed. "Seriously? I'll see you later," she said, turning away. York's arm shot out and grabbed her shoulder, gripping the fabric of her sweater between his fingers.

"Please."

"What?" she replied irritably.

"Can we talk? I have some things I need to tell you."

"Can we still order room service?"

"It's on Maine's tab, so go nuts."

She smiled at that and turned to face him again, pushing past him as she entered the room. He took a deep breath and closed the door, leaning his forehead against the frame for a moment, collecting himself.

"What do you want to eat?"

"I'm not hungry, go ahead and order whatever you want," he called back. He listened to her pick up the room phone and speak with someone, ordering a hamburger and fries, adding two milkshakes before they hung up. York clenched and unclenched his hand a couple of times and left the small alcove, going over to the two beds where Carolina was perched on the far one, luckily Wash's bed.

She looked up at him as he stood nearby, hesitating. "I got you a mint chocolate chip shake, I remember that's your favorite. You need to at least eat _something_, even if it's dessert."

"Yeah, okay. Thanks." He finally crossed the small space between them and sat on the edge of his bed, staring across the gap at her. She cocked her head and gave him a small smile.

"So, while we're waiting, what do you want to awkwardly make small talk about?" she asked, crossing her legs at the ankle.

"Uh." York scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I'd like to start by informing you that I did _not_ beat up Wash. We actually had a…I guess I wouldn't call it _good_ talk, but we had a talk this morning, so I have a little more information than I did before."

"That's good."

He could actually_ feel_ the tension in the air increase five-fold. "Secondly, I want to assure you that I'm not at _all_ complaining about what happened last night."

Carolina's face went pink at that. "Okay."

"And lastly, I want to clear something up that I guess you already know about. Wash sent you those roses on Valentine's Day, right? Passing them off as something from me?" He watched her nod once, briskly. "That wasn't a move on Wash's part. It was actually something he did for _us_, meaning you and me."

"What?"

_Yeah, so, Wash wants us to hook up and get married and have babies. How do you feel about that? _"He's…man, there's really no good way to phrase this. He told me he's 'bowing out.'" York punctuated the phrase with air quotes. "So, all those accusations I made of him still loving you? I guess those were inaccurate. And he's pretty pissed off at me, so you can spare me the lecture about not listening to him. Already got it."

"He's _bowing out_. I don't even understand what that means."

"He wants you and me to be together. He knows how I feel about you. I guess the only question remaining is, do _you_ know how I feel about you?"

"I…think I do."

"Do _you_ know you feel about _me_?" York decided to take a different, less offensive tactic.

Carolina shifted on the bed, winding her fingers together on her lap. "For a long time, it was hate. Just…_so much_ hatred, to be honest. How you reacted about Wash, the whole thing on New Year's Eve, all of it. I hated you _so much_ I could barely stand to think about you, and I tried to stop. I kept calling you, hoping for even a fight of some sort, but you never responded, so I thought it went both ways." He watched a tear slide down her cheek and resisted the urge to reach out to wipe it away. "Then the roses showed up, and I thought—no, I _hoped_ something had changed. But you didn't get back to me, and I figured it was a lost cause."

"I'm so sorry—"

"No, I get it now. I mean, you had no idea. It's okay. I'm not angry about that anymore. But when you showed up at dinner last night, acting all…_normal_, all cocky and self-assured and teasing me, I thought we were on the road to being friends again. I don't want you out of my life, York. I can't…I can't _handle_ that, losing you completely. A friend is better than _nothing_. You've been in my life for nearly two years in one way or another, and I can't stand to lose that."

York felt a sharp pang in his chest and he winced. "I don't want to lose you either," he replied, wondering when the right time would be to just stand up and grab her and never let her go. "And I think it's pretty obvious that you know how I feel about you now."

"Yeah, it is." She reached up to wipe away a few tears. "I know. I think I've _always_ known, but I wasn't ready to face it."

"And you're ready now?"

"No." Carolina shook her head. "I'm still not ready for…whatever _this_ would be," she said, gesturing between them. "There's just too much anger left, too many bad thoughts, too much confusion. I can't ignore everything that happened."

"I know." His voice was quiet, shaking as he looked down at his knees.

"But I'm willing to give us a chance."

His head shot up, eyes wide. "A chance?" he repeated.

"If _you're_ willing."

"Of _course_ I'm willing. I'll do _anything_, Carolina."

"Then I want you to tell me some things." She stood up and crossed over to his bed, sitting next to him. He could smell her perfume, the brand she didn't use often, that he'd bought her randomly one day. He couldn't believe she still used it.

"What sorts of things?" he asked cautiously.

"Things about _you_, York." She shifted a bit to the side and brought a knee up onto the bed, angling herself to see him better. "All the time we were together, I realized I barely knew anything about _you_, while you pretty much knew everything about _me_. My family, my hopes and dreams, all the little things that you know about a person when you really care about them. But you…" She sighed. "You're still the same, closed-off York that I met that night you were acting drunk and being weird."

York shrugged. "I just don't like to talk about myself, that's all."

"I know, and that's one of the things that will have to change if you want us to work out."

"Okay, then start asking questions."

"Where are you from?"

He chuckled. "Did I really never tell you that?"

"No."

"Colorado. Small mountain town called Fort Collins. Nice little place. Born and raised there, and went to college in Denver, about an hour away. No siblings, Mom passed away when I was a kid, Dad raised me best he could, but he was ex-military so it wasn't the most pleasant all of the time, even though he tried his best. Met North at college, graduated on time and went into the Army to please the old man, but didn't really seem to matter anyway. Haven't talked to him since at least… two years ago, probably. He was Air Force, I went Army. Apparently that wasn't his plan for me, but I didn't want to end up like him anyway. I still get holiday cards from him and his new wife, never met her though. Seems nice enough, going by the notes in the cards."

"What did you go to college for?"

"Finance. Accounting, specifically. No one told me that so many other people were doing the same, so I never found a job in the field. That's why I decided to go into the Army in the first place. I mean, I'd been thinking about it, but figured after three months of job searching, it wasn't going to get any easier, so I took the stupid way out."

"Going into the Army isn't _stupid_," Carolina chided. "At least you were doing something and not just stuck being jobless."

"Yeah, I hated mooching off of Wash and North, especially since I didn't really know Wash. It was just awkward as hell." He smiled at her and reached over to pat her knee. "I'm talking entirely too much. You should tell some stories."

"I don't really have anything to tell."

"You could explain what happened with you and Wash."

"What do you mean?"

"When you two were dating. I'd really like the truth about how all that started. You know, clean slate and all." York's smile disappeared as he settled into a more serious look. "Was he hitting on you _before_ you and I broke up when you moved?"

Carolina began to fidget. "Okay, to be honest…we did kiss. Before all of us went to the beach."

"Yeah, I figured something had happened."

"You're not upset?"

"Well…I _am_, but does it really _matter_ anymore? What's past is past and all that. I mean, you guys did more than just kiss when you were dating, right?"

"I don't really feel comfortable answering that."

"Fair enough. I know you guys slept together anyway, Wash told me. I knew you would—that's what you _do_ when you're dating. And he _did_ fly all the way out here at Thanksgiving, so I kind of figured _something_ was going on between you two."

"Okay, I'm going to clear that up right now." He watched her shake her head, looking back down at her hands. "We never did anything before that trip, because you and I were still dating, even though I was planning on moving. The two of us hadn't really figured out what was going to happen, but I still knew we were together. Wash told me about his feelings before I moved, but he never acted on anything besides that one kiss. I _swear_. He wrote me this letter, and I didn't find it until November, and that's when I asked him to visit, and when we…officially started dating, I guess."

"Oh. Okay."

"You don't have to believe me, but that's the truth."

York nodded. He _wanted_ to believe her, but it was Wash he didn't exactly trust. He made a mental note to confirm the story with him later. "No, it's fine. I'm glad to know the truth, finally. Makes it harder to hate Wash, though, since I'd assumed you two were dating _before_ Thanksgiving."

"We really weren't."

"Okay."

"Are you okay?"

York nodded. He felt…a little less hollow, if he had to try to label the feeling. Like pieces of a larger puzzle were beginning to fit together, and he didn't have to mash them together as roughly to make the edges align. "I think so. You?"

"I like that we're talking again."

"I do too."

A firm knock on the door interrupted York as he was leaning closer to Carolina, earning the door a harsh glare. "Room service," someone called out, and he rolled his eyes. He'd completely forgotten about the fucking food, and he still wasn't hungry.

"Coming," he yelled back, sliding off the bed regretfully. Carolina stood up and went over to the table to sit, watching York open the door to find a young man standing next to a wheeled tray filled with food.

"Burger and fries, and two milkshakes?" the man asked.

"That's us."

He pushed the cart into the room and unloaded the tray with a large silver domed lid over it onto the table, reaching back to grab the two milkshakes, one green, and the other bright pink. He set them down on the table and waited as York pulled a few dollar bills out of his wallet, handing them to him. He nodded at Carolina and pushed the tray out into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

"Wonder if Maine will reimburse me for tips," York muttered.

Caroline laughed as she lifted the lid off her tray, revealing a delicious-looking hamburger loaded with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles with a helping of ketchup and mustard leaking out from under the bun. A large pile of crispy fries was next to it, and it smelled like the most amazing food York had ever had the pleasure of being around.

"Maybe I _am_ hungry," he said, snatching a fry away to pop in his mouth as Carolina sighed.

"Do you want to split it?"

"No," he mumbled through a mouthful.

"Do you want to order your own?"

"Too hungry to wait." He reached out and grabbed another fry, grinning as she smacked the back of his hand.

"You have a shake! Drink that!"

"Ergh, fine." He ate the fry and reached for the mint shake, bringing it up to his mouth. As the smooth ice cream melted down the back of his throat, he let out a moan. It was the most amazing milkshake ever. Of all time.

"Wow, enjoying that a _little_ too much."

"Shut up and try yours," he shot back, wiping his mouth on his hand. She raised an eyebrow and took a sip of her likely-strawberry shake, pursing her lips together thoughtfully as she swallowed.

"Yeah, that's fucking delicious," she said with a chuckle.

"Leave it to Maine to pick the nicest hotel with the best food ever."

"I'd suggest eating _all_ your meals here," Carolina laughed. "So how long are you guys staying?"

"Uh, just a few days. Most of us gotta get back to work. We fly out Sunday, Maine and North are staying a few extra days to celebrate I think. That's what I heard Maine mention last night, anyway."

"Oh." She sounded disappointed, and York took that as a good sign.

"So how are things here with the roommates? I got to talk to them a little last night. I don't think they like me."

"Ah. Yeah, about that…they probably have a skewed perspective of you, considering the things Wash and I have told them."

"What kind of things?" Suddenly his shake didn't seem very appealing anymore.

"Just…ex-boyfriend types of things, that's all. But I was really angry at you, remember."

"Yeah." York wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground. "I get it. Maybe I can change their minds."

"That'll take time, which you don't exactly have."

"Fuck. That's true." He thought for a moment. "Maybe I can visit again soon."

"I don't…that may not be a good idea."

"I thought we were doing well just now."

Carolina set down her burger, opening her mouth for a second before closing it, as though trying to find the right words. "Well…just now, yes. But, like I said before, I can't just leap back into anything. It's too hard."

"But we can be friends?"

She hesitated, poking at the burger. "Yeah. Friends would be nice."

York relaxed a little in his chair, poking the straw in and out of his milkshake. He wanted to say more, but couldn't find the best way to not sound like a pathetic loser. Which he realized he'd really come across as lately. He'd _never_ begged for someone to give him a chance. What the hell was so special about Carolina?

He stared at her across the table, watching her eat. There was just something about her that intrigued him from the moment they first talked, _really_ talked, at Wash's apartment the night he had pretended to be drunk as an excuse to call her. It wasn't just that she was beautiful in the way that she didn't obviously flaunt around others, but it was her personality. He loved that they fought—she kept him on his toes, never let him just settle.

"You're staring at me."

"Sorry." He averted his gaze to the dwindling pile of fries. "Can I have another?"

"Because you actually _asked_, yes."

He reached out and took a couple, dipping them in the ketchup that had dripped onto the plate from the burger. They linked eyes as he brought them to his mouth and chewed them slowly, savoring the flavor.

Carolina raised an eyebrow. "You're staring _again_."

"I can't help it. You're beautiful."

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she shook her head. "I'm in the middle of eating a giant hamburger and I'm not even dressed up."

"You're beautiful no matter what you wear, whatever you're doing. Don't you see that?"

"No, because it's not true."

"God, Carolina, don't play that game with me. You're going to lose."

She rolled her eyes, reaching for a fry. "York, please—"

"It's true, though."

"Thank you."

"And?"

"And, what?"

York smiled. "_And you're cute too, York,_" he supplied with a swoosh of his hand towards himself.

"Oh, sorry. You're cute too, York."

"Aw, I'm blushing. So kind of you to say."

They sat in silence for a minute, neither looking at the other. He shifted his foot underneath the table and felt it knock against her leg. Keeping it there, he hesitated until he realized she wasn't moving her leg away.

"Are we done talking, then?" he asked. "Do you know enough of my life story for now?"

"For now." He caught a twinkle in her eye and suppressed a grin.

"Good."

Silence filled the awkward space between them again as Carolina finished the burger, wiping her hands on a cloth napkin next to the plate. "I've gotta wash my hands, be right back," she excused herself, standing up. Walking past him towards the bathroom, York smiled, waiting until he heard the door close and the water running.

He stood up and tucked his chair underneath the table so it would be out of the way. The water was still running as he ducked underneath the bed, fishing out a small, thin box he'd put there the night before, prior to dinner. Regretting not having the time to get it gift-wrapped, he set it on the table and stood next to it, hands behind his back, standing awkwardly as the bathroom door opened and Carolina came out, fixing her sweater slightly.

"What's that?" she asked, gesturing towards the box on the table.

"Just a gift for you," York replied. "I was going to give it to you when I was leaving, but tonight seemed like a better time."

"Oh. Thanks." She picked up the box and carefully opened it, letting out a small gasp. "Oh, it's so pretty!" She set the box down on the table and lifted out a silk scarf, colored a bright turquoise with thin streaks of darker blue swirled throughout the fabric. The cloth draped over her hands as she studied the pattern. "Wow, it's gorgeous, York. Thank you so much. I love scarves, and it gets chilly here at night."

"Yeah, I remembered you saying that at New Year's. I just saw this and thought of you. Here." He stepped forward and carefully took it from her, admiring the silk. She smiled as he reached out to drape it around her neck, brushing her chin with his thumb as he wrapped one end over the other, leaving it twisted in a slight knot over her chest.

"Thanks," Carolina whispered, touching the thin fabric. "It's warm."

"That was the idea," York whispered back, his fingers still clinging to the ends of the scarf. "So you like it?"

"Very much."

"I'm glad." He tilted his head and leaned towards her, his lips brushing her cheekbone. "It looks great."

She didn't reply, only let out a soft sigh as he gently kissed her cheek, his lips barely touching her skin. He knew he was pushing his luck, but was encouraged when she slid her hand down the scarf, touching his fingers lightly.

"What are you thinking?" he whispered, kissing just to the side of her lips.

He felt a smile curl the corner of her mouth. "It's a secret," she breathed, shifting just enough so that their lips touched. Hers were slightly dry and York pressed himself against her, trapping their hands between them, and slid his tongue over her upper lip, eliciting a shiver from Carolina.

She moved her hand out from between them and gripped some of his shirt, tugging it up. He wasn't about to refute the action, so he pulled away just enough to free his own hands, grabbing the hem of the shirt, yanking it up and over his head, dropping it to the ground. Suddenly he was grateful for all of the overtime construction work he'd been doing over the past few months, knowing he had a great tan to show for it, not to mention it supplemented his gym workout really well.

"This is probably stupid," Carolina said in between kisses.

York shook his head as his hands slid underneath her sweater, rubbing her lower back. "Yeah, probably," he replied, licking along her chin, kissing her neck. "But we won't know unless we try."

"Valid point." Carolina pushed him away and he nearly tripped as he stumbled backwards, the backs of his knees hitting one of the beds. She removed the scarf and dropped it in a pile on the floor as she pressed herself against him once more, kissing him passionately, her hands working on trying to unbuckle the belt that he was mentally cursing himself for using.

"Hang on," York gasped, falling back onto the bed. He reached down and undid the buckle, practically ripping open the waist of his jeans as he pushed the denim down around his hips. He looked up to see Carolina struggling not to laugh, her hands covering her mouth. "What?!"

"Nothing, sorry," she giggled.

"This isn't funny! This is important and time-sensitive! This is for _science_!"

"You're right." She laughed as she pulled off her sweater, dropping it on the floor. He raised an eyebrow, gesturing at her polka-dotted bra.

"That's a new one."

"I've gone shopping since _last year_," she exclaimed, reaching up to cover her chest. York laughed and grabbed her hands, yanking her down onto the bed on top of him.

"It's fucking adorable," he whispered, kissing her again.

"Fuck you," she said, biting his lower lips.

"I'm _trying_," he cried out, sliding his hands around her waist, fighting her jeans. She laughed and collapsed on top of him in giggles. "Fucking _hell_, Lina! You couldn't have worn a _skirt_ or something?!"


	27. Chapter 27: Interlude

Sorry this isn't a story update, but I wanted to address everyone reading. :3

SO. FIRSTLY. To everyone making such awesome, nice comments (which, if you're a guest, I can't respond to), I just want to say: NO YOU. *hides under blanket* SERIOUSLY. I CANNOT HANDLE ALL OF YOU. I LOVE YOU ALL. *throws confetti* Please keep commenting! I don't know if there's more than one of you, or if it's just one who keeps saying such nice things, but UGH MY FEELS. You have no idea how big my smile is when I get these email alerts about having new reviews. Just...thank you, seriously.

ABOUT THE STORY: Okay, so originally this whole thing started as a drabble idea for my friend, and it sort of EXPLODED into ALL THE FEELS about Yorkalina, coupled with some Washolina (is there a ship name for them? Fuck if I know, one of you guys used CarWash, haha) because it sounded fun to write. And then...it just kept going. I still have a bunch of things I need to get done for the plot, so don't worry, it won't be ending too soon! Though it will eventually, sad day.

POLL: Hey, I made a poll and I think it'd be cool if people voted. :P It MAY have an impact on the story, JUST SAYIN'. www. surveymonkey s / K69RGPM

TITLE: WHEE I used the most generic title I could think of at the time. I'll change it at the end, probably. Or not. I AM lazy.

RANDOM: This is officially the longest story I have ever written! Prior to this was a Fushigi Yuugi one that ran about 106k, and this one passed 108k last night and is gonna go for a while longer. So that's pretty fuckin' sweet, at least for me.

I also have a Tumblr if anyone else is on there (www. tumblr. com. /blog /ceredonia. I don't post much and it's mostly reblogging other stuff, but sometimes I do. And I have a few other little stories on there too, buried somewhere, haha. I also post on AO3 ( as ceredonia) so you can find other stuff on there, though I think I've cross-posted most stuff on here as well (minus a Supernatural story I just put up for a Big Bang Mix for LJ last week).

Please, keep commenting and letting me know what you think! I live for comments. :3

(edit: That's cool, FF removes links. Sigh. Okay. I'll put spaces between stuff, so just...uh...remove the spaces. And I just fixed the survey link, I hope.)


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: HELLO YOU GUYS. Hey, if any of you are commenting as a guest, you should make an account so I can REPLY to your super amazing comments! To the last person who made that essay comment earlier: YOU ARE AMAZING. SERIOUSLY. But INTERNET HUGS to all of you! Feel free to hit me up on Tumblr if you want to rant about the story (link in the last posting; otherwise find me as ceredonia on there) or just comment! Also, I fixed the link to the survey in the last part (take out the spaces).**

* * *

**Part 50**

Dakota dropped her hand underneath the table and wound her fingers around Lee's, watching her smile as she told Maine a story about someone from work that they both apparently knew. She moved her other hand towards her water glass, catching a look from North.

"What?" she asked, sipping her water. Lee and Maine glanced at her, then went back to talking as North just leaned back in the booth, grinning.

"You don't do PDA, do you?" he chuckled.

Dakota shook her head. "I don't mind flirting in public, but relationship stuff should be more…private, you know?"

"Ahh, _that's_ why you always get so uptight when Maine and I are making out."

"Well, _yeah_."

"I thought maybe it was the whole gay thing, but when I figured out that wouldn't likely be an issue with you, I couldn't think of anything else. Your reason makes a _lot_ more sense."

Dakota rolled her eyes as Maine reached over, pulling North closer to him in their side of the booth to kiss his cheek. "Are we ready to order?" he asked, gesturing at the menu on the table.

"I've _been_ ready, sweetie. I'm not the one who got caught up in gossip."

Maine smiled and pushed him away, shaking his head. "Fine. Sorry."

"Not judging, just saying." North nudged Dakota's leg with his foot. "Speaking of, wanna take bets on York and Carolina hooking up while he's here?"

"Ugh, _no_. I'm so tired of trying to talk sense into her," Dakota replied.

"What's going on?" Lee asked, having finished her conversation with Maine.

"More Carolina drama," North told her, shrugging. "I need to find out what happened the other night at dinner. Wash said they were up on the roof together, but I haven't gotten to talk to him. He spent all day at the Statue of Liberty yesterday and never returned my calls."

Lee nodded. "Dakota's filled me in mostly. I'll take that bet."

"You think it'll happen?"

"York's charming and _obviously_ still loves Carolina. Carolina is, from what I can tell having only just met her, stubborn but has a blind spot for York. Fuck _yeah_, I think they're going to hook up."

"I _like_ you, have I told you that before?" North said.

"Lots of times," Lee replied with a laugh. "Come on, let's get some breakfast. I'm starved."

(b)

Wash was suspicious.

Granted, he was _usually_ suspicious, but York was acting _way_ more strangely than usual. Wash had gotten in late the previous night, and York was already asleep, despite it only being midnight. Usually he stayed up until god knows what hour, watching TV or reading. The remote was nowhere near his bed, and his luggage was still mostly packed, except a spare shirt that was tossed over the back of a chair. There had been a tray left out in the hallway but only had a few fries left, and half a strawberry milkshake.

Had Carolina ever showed up? He'd tried calling her as well, with no answer. Simmons said he hadn't seen her, but was angry that he'd been woken up at midnight and told him, in less than polite terms, that keeping track of her wasn't his job and hung up on him. Now it was nearly eleven in the morning and he hadn't heard from her yet, and was afraid to call Simmons again.

"What do you want to do today?" York asked, coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He started digging in his suitcase as Wash perched on the edge of his bed, arms crossed over his chest, glaring at York as though he were holding state secrets. He'd just woken up and announced he needed a shower, which was strange because he usually showered at night, in addition the fact that he never slept past nine a.m. He was the only person Wash knew who could operate on so few hours of sleep on a regular basis.

"What happened last night?"

York shrugged and uncovered a fresh pair of boxers. "Nothing."

"Carolina ever show up?"

"Yeah, but she didn't stay."

"When did she leave?"

He shrugged again, grabbing his jeans from the floor next to his bed. "I dunno. After dinner, I guess. I had room service and she stuck around for a while."

"Okay."

"Sound _more_ creepy, Wash. Chill out. Take a chill strip or something." York retreated into the bathroom to get dressed as Wash stood up, walking around York's bed, looking along the carpet for any clue that something had happened. He didn't see anything, which was almost _more _suspicious—York wasn't known to tidy up after himself, and the room was entirely _too_ tidy.

"I'm just concerned. I haven't heard from Carolina yet."

"Dude, it's early, she's probably still sleeping," he replied, coming out of the bathroom in his jeans, still bare-chested.

"It's eleven in the morning, that's no longer considered _early_ by anyone."

"_God_, Wash, just _drop_ it, won't you?" York pulled a shirt out of the suitcase and yanked it over his head, ruffling his hair as the fabric dragged over the wet strands. "She'll fucking report back to you eventually. She always does."

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"That you two are _way_ too close for exes. Fuck, you're way too close for _friends_," York said, digging underneath the bed to find his missing sneaker. "You don't need to know every single thing she does."

"I _know_ that, I just want to know what happened last night with _you_. Besides, we don't even talk that much anymore."

"Well, if something _did_, then she'll tell you if she _wants_ to. Stop fucking pressuring her."

"Where is all this anger coming from?" Wash asked, smacking York on the arm. York swung back at him, resuming tying his shoelaces as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'm fucking tired of you butting into everything that concerns me and Lina," he replied, glaring up at Wash.

"I thought we were on better terms since yesterday."

"We were, until it got annoying. Just let us live our lives, okay? If it happens, it happens."

"What's 'it,' exactly?"

"I don't know!" York huffed, getting to his feet, adjusting his jeans. "Just—whatever. I'm out of here, gonna go explore the city or something. I'll be back later." He grabbed his wallet from the table and shoved it into his back pocket as he opened the door and slammed it shut behind him, leaving Wash glowering after him.

(b)

Luckily Simmons and Grif had both been asleep when Carolina crept into in the apartment, carefully depositing her purse on the floor near the couch. She snuck into her bedroom quietly and undressed, crawling under the blanket to bury her head under her pillow.

(b)

_"Shit."_

_"That's not really what you want to hear after sex."_

_"Yeah, I know. But…shit."_

_York sat up and looked down at Carolina, who had her head buried under a pillow, facing away from him. "Uh, don't freak out?"_

_"Too late."_

_"Hey, it was for _science_—"_

_"Stop making stupid jokes! It was _stupid_, and we shouldn't have done it."_

_"Well, _I'm_ not complaining—"_

_"Stop it! Just stop making light of everything, York! Please, just _once_, take something fucking _seriously_!" She sat up, tossing the pillow to the floor. "I can't _do_ this again! I can't let myself get wrapped up in whatever _this_ is!"_

_"You keep _saying_ that, but you can't seem to leave," York said quietly, trying to use his most serious voice, which wasn't hard, because he was getting angry. And getting angry right after sex was never fun. Unless it lead to angry make-up sex, which was seeming less and less likely._

_"I don't know why. All we ever do is fight."_

_"Obviously."_

_"That's all you have to say?" Carolina pushed the sheets away and climbed out of bed, locating her underwear and bra on the floor. _

_"What am I _supposed_ to say?" York shot back, getting out of bed as well. He yanked on his boxers that had gotten tangled up in his jeans, turning to glare at her as she adjusted her bra straps. "You _know_ how I feel about you, Lina! I don't _want_ to fight. I want us to figure out our shit and just…be _normal_ again, you know?"_

_"I guess this is as normal as we're going to get," she replied, pulling on her jeans. Her sweater went on next, and she pulled her hair away from the collar, buttoning her pants a moment later. "I'm sorry I stayed. I'm sorry any of this happened. I've got to go."_

_"Please, Lina. Just stay, we'll talk this out."_

_"_No_, York. I've…I don't know, I've got to stand up for myself. Somehow. I don't know." She grabbed her shoes and purse, heading for the door._

_"If you walk out that door, I'll—"_

_"_What_, York, you'll never talk to me again? It's over _forever_? How cliché. And you know that isn't a promise you can keep."_

_"I'll…" He took a step closer. "I'll never stop trying."_

_Carolina stopped, her hand resting heavily on the door handle._

_"If you stay…we'll probably fight some more. Maybe we won't, but we probably will. And we'll probably come to some bullshit agreement about not talking often, or just ignoring each other completely, or whatever else you think you want." York took another step, placing his hand on the nearby table. "But if you leave, then I'm going to take that as a sign that you _don't_ want to fight, or agree on some stupid terms that we'll never keep anyway."_

_She remained silent, staring at him. He lowered his head slightly, turning it to the left, as though to hide the scar._

_"I promise one thing, though. I'll keep loving you, no matter what you decide."_

_A moment of silence passed, followed by the click of the door handle sliding back into place after it closed behind Carolina, leaving York alone, standing next to the table, a small smile playing on his lips. _

_ (b)_

Carolina woke up the next morning and immediately squeezed her eyes shut, seeing York standing there, looking at her with that _look_ she remembered so well, the one that told her he knew exactly what he wanted.

_Fuck. _She opened her eyes again to stare at the wall. A second later her pillow bounced off the white surface, sliding to the floor as she glared at it, wishing she could turn back time two years so she could have her birthday celebration at some other bar.

But…that wouldn't solve anything. She was grateful she met Wash, not to mention North and Maine. She sighed and rolled over to stare at the ceiling.

She couldn't bring herself to say the words out loud.

_I still love York_.

**Part 51**

"Hey, guys, do you want to go get some dinner?" Carolina slowly flipped channels, sitting on the couch with Grif and Simmons.

Grif shrugged. "I could eat."

"You just _did_, fatass," Simmons argued.

"Like, a whole hour ago!"

"Why aren't you out with your friends?" Simmons asked, smacking Grif on the back of the head. "They're only here another day or so, right?"

Carolina shrugged. "I hung out with Dakota and CT earlier, and I'm sort of…avoiding Wash and York right now. Please don't—"

"Why?" Grif asked.

"—ask why," she finished, shaking her head. "Just personal reasons, okay?"

"You should invite the others out for dinner then," Simmons suggested. "Except maybe not that really big dude—Maine, right? He's…kinda scary."

"You wimp."

"Shut up! You saw him!"

"Yeah, he's kinda scary," Grif agreed.

"If he's so scary, why did you guys agree to help him and go get everyone at the airport?" Carolina asked.

"_Because_ he's scary!" they said in unison. She rolled her eyes in response.

"Well, I can see if anyone wants to go out, but I think they're all just enjoying some solo vacation time."

"Aw, at least invite Dakota and that other girl, she's super cute," Simmons whined.

"Dude, aren't you seeing Allison?"

"Nah, she dumped me…I need a rebound!"

"You realize that's Dakota's _girlfriend_?" Carolina said.

Simmons hung his head dejectedly as Grif looked between the two of them. "Girlfriend?" he repeated. "Uh…yeah, invite them to dinner, okay?"

Carolina reached across the back of the couch to smack him on the head.

(b)

"So…you two are _dating_."

Grif was leaning forward on his elbows at the table, somewhat leering at Dakota and Lee, who had started to scoot their chairs away from the table a bit. Carolina made a disgruntled noise at the back of her throat and Simmons nodded, whacking Grif on the back. She was amazed they'd managed to make it all the way through dinner without bringing it up.

"_Dude_!"

"Stop it!"

"I wasn't _doing_ anything—"

"So, what happened last night?" Dakota asked bluntly, picking up her knife. She touched the tip to her plate and started spinning it in her hands.

"What do you mean?"

Lee laughed, taking the knife away from Dakota. "She wants to know if you hooked up with York. Hell, _I _want to know too."

Carolina sputtered, having been drinking some of her beer. "_What_?"

"Oh, don't play dumb. Wash has been avoiding everyone all day, we tried inviting him to breakfast but he said he was going to be with York. We called York, who ignored all our calls, so clearly they aren't _actually_ hanging out. And Wash wouldn't get back to us yesterday either. So what happened yesterday? Hell, what happened after the party?"

Carolina was pretty sure she wasn't too fond of Lee at this point. "Nothing."

Dakota sighed. "Come on, Lina. Spill. We have money riding on this."

"What?! And no one told _me_?" Grif complained.

Lee leaned across the table, whispering loudly behind her hand. "I'm betting her and York hooked up, but Maine thinks her and _Wash_ are back together. Dakota didn't want in officially, but she probably doesn't want me losing money."

"Dude, I'll put money on her and Wash."

"_Seriously_? It's _so obvious_ that York—"

"_I can hear you_."

"That's the point," Lee said with a shrug. "Gotta try to ferret out details however I can."

"I'm in for her and York," Simmons added quickly, squeaking as Carolina swatted him on the leg.

"I fucking hate _all_ of you right now."

"So, which is it?" Lee grinned. "You should just settle this now before it gets out of hand and ends up on ESPN or something. 'Battle of the Exes!'"

"Lee—"

"Aw, it's in good fun," she said, patting Dakota on the shoulder, who looked embarrassed at how the conversation had gotten out of hand. "Sorry."

"I'll be right back." Carolina pushed her chair out from the table and stalked off towards the bathroom, brusquely pushing past a couple waiters near the kitchen entrance. She closed the bathroom door behind her and locked it, grateful it was single occupancy.

She started running the sink water, watching it swirl around the drain before she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked _exhausted_, and she felt it too. A nap sounded great—it had been a long day of avoiding phone calls from everyone and alternating staring at the floor or wall.

With a sigh she washed her hands and dried them on a paper towel, tossing the wadded up paper into the garbage. Someone knocked on the door and she opened it, seeing a woman glaring at her, hands on her hips.

"Took long enough," she complained, pushing past Carolina into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Carolina mumbled a too-late apology and wound her way around the tables back towards the group, only to find Grif and Lee embroiled in an argument over who was the better superhero, Batman or Superman.

"But he's _invincible_!"

"Fuck that, he's _boring_," Lee shot back. "Batman _makes everything_ and actually knows how to _do_ shit!"

"Yeah, because Alfred does everything for him—"

"Plus he doesn't have fucking _Lois_ being all annoying around him!"

"Like Catwoman is _better_?"

"Oh thank god you're back," Dakota said, leaning over to hug Carolina as she sat back down. "I am so sick of this."

"Hey, I'll stop comparing superheroes when Lina tells us what's going on between her, York, and Wash," Grif said, taking another bite of the pie he'd ordered for dessert. There was barely any left; somehow he'd managed to make it last.

Carolina shook her head stubbornly. "Nope, not telling."

"So something _did_ happen," Dakota observed.

"Shut up!"

"Oh, hang on." Dakota reached into her pocket, hearing her phone start to ring. She grinned and answered it. "Oh, hey Wash, what's up? …Not much, just finishing dinner with Carolina and Lee. And Grif and Simmons," she added, seeing the hurt looks on their faces. "Yeah, at the steak place you told us about. …Yup. …Okay, I'll talk to you later." She closed the phone and shook her head. "She didn't hook up with Wash," she told the rest of the group, as though Carolina wasn't even there.

"How do you know?" Lee asked.

"I can tell. If something had happened, Wash would be on cloud nine, and he sounded normal. He also wanted to know if anyone wanted to meet up for drinks later."

"Sure," Grif said. "You down, Simmons?"

He shrugged. "It _is_ the weekend, why not?"

"Good decision."

Carolina reached for her wallet to put some cash on the table for the bill. "No, I'm good. I'm gonna get some sleep."

"Because you didn't get much last night?..." Lee trailed off.

"_I got plenty._"

(b)

"Okay, so by 'meet up for drinks' we assumed a _bar_," Simmons said, looking uncomfortable.

"What's wrong with this? It's cheaper," North replied, waving a half-empty bottle of vodka at him.

"It's…weird."

"Why?"

"Because we're getting drunk in a hotel room with no ladies to hook up with!" Grif cried out.

"I can _act_ like—"

"_Don't_ finish that sentence," Wash warned North, who just grinned, already tipsy. "Come on guys, just have a drink. We're leaving tomorrow anyway."

"_Fine_." Grif grabbed a bottle of rum and started pouring some into a glass Maine had handed him. "Since it's free and all."

Everyone settled into chairs or draped themselves over the bed as they drank, making small talk amongst themselves. North and Maine were snuggled at the head of the bed while Dakota was lying on her stomach at the end, talking with Lee, who was sitting on the floor next to them. Grif and Simmons had claimed two of the chairs at the small table and Wash was lying on the floor, his head near the bed, already mostly gone from having started drinking before anyone else got there.

"Okay, I'm gonna ask because no one else has the balls," Grif said, setting his glass down on the table. "Wash, did you and Carolina sleep together last night?"

"Nope," he replied, rolling his head back and forth along the carpet in a weak attempt to shake it.

"Did she hook up with York?"

"Dunno." His head rolled again.

"_Dunno_?"

"He didn't say, and she's avoiding me. So…dunno."

"That means they _totally_ did."

"Probably. Leave it to those two to fuck up something as simple as sleeping together," Wash mumbled, raising his head just enough to chug more of his drink. "Hey, someone get me a refill."

"I think you've had enough," Maine chided.

"Fuck you."

"Yeah, _clearly_ you didn't hook up with her," Dakota said. "Hey, where's CT? She never weighed in on the bet."

"Off with Brandon somewhere," North replied. "I invited her, but she said they had some romantic date night planned for their last night here, so whatever."

"What about York?"

"Still ignoring us."

"Even though we flew his ass out here for _free_," Maine muttered. "And where's Carolina?"

"She went home after dinner," Dakota complained. "Such a waste, we've barely gotten to hang out."

"She just needs some time to herself," Wash said from the floor, rolling over onto his side in an attempt to get up. He finally worked his way to his knees and staggered to the edge of the bed, catching his balance. "Seriously, _someone_ get me a fucking _refill_. I can't walk."

"Precisely _why_ you shouldn't have more," North said.

"Shut up. I'm drinking away the pain."

"_What_ pain?"

"…Nothing." Wash stumbled over to the table and poured himself another half a glass of straight vodka, bringing it up to his lips to chug half of it in one go.

"_Christ_, Wash, what happened?"

"I _said_ nothing." He was beginning to slur and Simmons stood up, grabbing his arm to help him into his now-vacated chair.

"You should stop—"

"Fuck off, Grif!"

"I'm _Simmons_, you fucktard."

"Fuck off, Simmons," Wash corrected himself, reaching out to poke at Simmons' glasses. "You're a nerd."

"Hey, fuck _you_! Nerds are _cool_ now!"

Someone knocked at the door and Maine rolled off the bed, causing Dakota to bounce a little from the weight redistribution. He went over to the door and opened it, stepping back as York pushed his way inside, stalking straight over to where Wash was poking at Simmons, ignoring his annoyed shouts.

"_Wash_!"

"What?" he said irritably, looking up. "Oh. What do _you_ want?"

"What the fuck did you _do_?" York reached down and picked up Wash by the collar, hauling him to his feet. To his credit, Wash managed to stay mostly upright on his own, looking confused.

"I…I was just drinking, I don't know why you'd _care_—"

"You talked to Lina earlier, _didn't_ you? What the _fuck_ did you _say_ to her? She won't return my calls, and she's completely avoiding me!"

"Uh…"

(b)

_"Jesus, finally. I thought you might be dead." Wash checked the clock next to his bed. "It's nearly two in the afternoon."_

_"Sorry." He heard Carolina sigh. "Just been thinking."_

_"Did something happen last night with York?"_

_"What did he tell you?"_

_"Nothing, really. Just that you stopped by for a bit but left."_

_"Figures."_

_Wash frowned, leaning back on the bed. "What figures?"_

_"I thought if he'd tell to truth to anyone it'd be you, but I guess not."_

_"Lina, what happened?"_

_"I don't know."_

_Clearly _something _was up; she was breathing strangely, like she was about to have a panic attack. "Come on, you can tell me."_

_"I fucked up, David."_

_She never used his real name unless…_fuck._ "Talk to me, Lina."_

_"I can't."_

_"Yes, you can. Come on."_

_"York…" She hesitated. "We slept together."_

_Wash wanted to smile, to congratulate her, do _anything_, but stayed silent, as though she would be able to hear his satisfaction over the phone._

_"Then we fought. Of course. We always fight. And I left."_

_"You can still fix it."_

_"Fix _what_? He said he still loved me, and he was _always_ going to love me, no matter what! I can't…it's too much—"_

_"Sweetie, breathe."_

_He listened to her take a deep, shaky breath. "David…I can't do this again. I don't want what we had before."_

_"And that's okay, Lina. I don't think he wants that either. I think he wants to start over."_

_"That's what _he_ said."_

_"And what, you don't believe him?"_

_"I don't know."_

_She was silent for a minute and he debated what to say, alternating between forcing her to talk more and offering her an out. He didn't end up having to choose, since she finally spoke again._

_"I still love him."_

_"That's…that's great!" _Ugh…why is my chest hurting? _He shook his head. "Did you tell him?"_

_"I can't."_

_"Why not?"_

_"Because…I still have feelings for _you_."_

_He stopped breathing for a second, coughing as air got sucked back into his lungs. "Fuck—"_

_"I know you said you were going to back out, he told me about your talk, but…that just got me thinking _more_, and I realized that I still care about you too."_

Fuck fuckity fuck. _His chest felt like it was about to explode. "Lina, I care about you too, but—this isn't how it's supposed to happen."_

_"…What?"_

_"Fuck—Carolina, you and _York_ are supposed to be together. I can't take you away from him. I just…I _can't_."_

_"…Oh." She was suddenly very quiet._

_"I'm sorry."_

_"Yeah."_

Wow, way to fuck everything up._ "Lina, please—go find York. I'm only trying to do what's best for both of you—"_

_"I wish you would _stop deciding things for me_!"_

_He'd definitely broken something; she sounded unbalanced, angry. "What are you talking about?"_

_"_You_ liked me, but then you thought I would be better off with _York_ so you pawned me off, and when _that_ failed, you decided I'd be better with _you_, and I can't _handle_ this anymore!" she exploded, and he winced at her harsh tone. _

_"That's not what—"_

_It was too late; she'd hung up on him. _

_Fuck._

_He needed a drink._

_ (b)_

"I'll give you one more chance to tell me what the _fuck_ _you did_ before I smash your face in!" York shouted, still gripping Wash's collar with both hands. Simmons and Grif had scattered, fleeing for safety behind Maine, who had quickly moved to stand a few feet away in case he was needed.

"I didn't _do anything_!" Wash shouted, beginning to panic. He'd seen that look in York's good eye before, when his fist was smashing into Wash's face on New Year's Eve. He had _zero_ desire to relive _that_ again and he began to struggle, kicking outwards. One foot connected with York's shin and seconds later he was free as York moved to rub his leg, backing away into Maine. Maine grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around to throw him on the bed, watching him bounce on the comforter as North scrabbled off, drink in hand.

"I have no issues with _you_, Maine," York growled, sitting up.

"You're _about_ to."

"Fucking _stop_!"

Everyone stopped to look at Wash, who was standing unsteadily at the table, catching his breath, still drunk. "Just…fucking stop this shit," Wash yelled, pointing a shaky finger at York. "_You_. Get the _fuck over yourself_ and _fix your shit_ before you fuck up anything _else_. Carolina still _loves you_, even though it's getting harder by the day to see _why_—you're an insecure, needy _bitch_!" He managed to walk a few steps and got closer to York, still jabbing his finger in his direction. "_I_ still love her, but I know _I'm_ not who she needs to be with—_you two_ should be together, but both of you keep _fucking it up_, you saying that you don't know how to tell her or her saying she still loves me!"

York's face drained of color as he stood, cracking his knuckles against his palm. "She told you _what_?" he said flatly.

"I told her to go fix things with _you_ and she said she still loved _me_! How does _that_ make you feel, _bitch_?" Wash was dangerously close to passing out; he could feel his head spinning and the floor had been shifting around for the past few minutes, threatening to fall out from under him.

"Oh, it makes me feel pretty _stabby_—"

All Wash saw was a blur as Maine tackled York on the bed, pinning him down by sitting on his legs, holding his arms above his head. Dakota and Lee both gasped at the same time as Grif and Simmons ran over to Maine, trying to pry him away from York. North just stood there, looking at Wash with a bemused expression on his face.

"You're just _full_ of surprises, aren't you?" he asked, and Wash shrugged, finally seeing the cloud of white that had been lurking at the edge of his vision overtake the rest of him. He collapsed to the floor, narrowly avoiding hitting his head on the edge of the table, vaguely sensing someone grab at his arm, but he was already mostly out.


	29. Chapter 29

**Part 52**

"Wash!"

"Nngh."

"Come on, sit up."

"Go 'way."

"Okay, he's talking, that's a good sign."

Wash moaned and struggled to sit up, quickly deciding that was _not _the best option as his stomach lurched. He gagged and someone shoved a trash can in front of him, which he gratefully grabbed and rolled over to retch into. Suddenly his stomach felt a _lot_ better as he heard groans around him.

"Ugh, dude, I can't handle vomit," he heard Grif complain to the side, making gagging noises himself. Simmons whispered something and he started gagging again as Simmons laughed.

"Wash, you okay?" Someone was patting his leg and he set the trash can on the floor, hauling himself back up onto the bed. North was sitting next to him, rubbing his leg.

"_Fine_," he muttered, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, realizing that didn't really make it better. "Where's York?"

A towel dangled in front of his face and he grabbed at it, wiping his face. As he moved the cloth away he saw Dakota frowning down at him.

"He left."

"Fuck, I wanted to punch him."

"Real healthy attitude there."

"Fuck off, Dakota."

"Fine, guess you don't want any help trying to get in touch with Carolina then."

He winced. "She'll be fine."

"Calling me in tears qualifies as _fine_, now?"

"What? She—" He tried to sit up again and was able to somewhat manage it, leaning back against a pillow. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine. She's rightfully pissed off at, well, pretty much everyone at this point."

"Yeah, which isn't fair," Simmons bitched.

"Well, _all_ of us were sort of pressuring her to sleep with either Wash or York," Lee pointed out helpfully.

"Oh. Yeah, _that_."

Someone's phone began to ring and North scrambled off the bed, realizing it was his. He answered it with a "Hey, sweetie," letting everyone else know it was Maine. "Yeah, she said—oh. Okay. …Well, come back here, I guess. … Okay, see you soon." He hung up and shrugged at the others. "He says she wasn't at your guys' apartment."

"That's weird. Where else would she be?" Grif wondered, glancing at Simmons, who shrugged.

(b)

"Can I get another, please?"

"Sure thing." The bartender pulled down another shot glass and the bottle of whiskey he'd been using for her drinks, pouring her another shot. Carolina reached out and grabbed the glass, tilting her head back to down it a little more slowly than the previous ones. She set the glass back down on the counter, joining the other four that were sitting there like trophies.

"Having a rough night?" someone asked to her right. She pushed some hair out of her face and turned towards the voice, seeing a young man with jet-black hair and stubble smiling at her.

"You could say that," she replied with a shrug.

"I'm sorry. People fucking suck, don't they?" He slid his glass of what was probably rum and Coke, if she had to guess by the color, across the counter and clinked it against one of her empty shot glasses.

"That's an understatement."

"Talk to me, Red."

"Okay, first off, don't call me that." Carolina signaled the bartender for another drink and he gave her a look, quickly judging whether that would be a good call on his part. He must have decided she was okay because he started filling another glass as she turned back to the man. "Secondly, I'm just here to kill some time and drink by myself, so I don't need you hitting on me."

"Firstly, _Red_, you're sitting at a bar with a bunch of scumbags at every booth, so what are you _expecting_ to happen? Secondly, way to think highly of yourself."

Carolina turned away before he could see her blushing. "If everyone in here is a scumbag, what does that make _you_?"

"Oh, I wasn't counting myself. As I said, they're in every _booth_. I'm at the _bar_." He stuck his hand out and she took it carefully, shaking it. "Leonard Church. But don't call me Leonard."

"Carolina Brown," she replied. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. So what're you doing in a dive like this?"

"Drinking. You?"

He lifted up his glass. "Wow, it's like we're one mind," he said sarcastically.

"Amazing!"

"Isn't it? Hey, give us two shots of whatever she's having, on my tab," he said to the bartender, who nodded.

"Got it, Church."

"Oh, geez, are you _known_ here?"

Church grinned. "I do frequent this dive, it's true. But it's better than most out there. Don't really have to worry about groups of bitchy bachelorettes or tone-deaf karaoke morons coming through."

"Not a fan of women, are you?"

"On the contrary! Women are amazing, beautiful creatures. I just don't like most of them because they're annoying."

Carolina chuckled. "Let me guess—you're single."

"Oh, you hurt me." He clutched his chest with a groan. "Fuck you, I _am_ single right now. Wanna fight about it?"

"Technically I am too, so it's all good."

The bartender set down two shots of whiskey in front of them and Church reached out for one, downing it in one gulp. He let out a yell as she laughed. "_Shit_, that's some good whiskey!"

"I prefer the good stuff," she said, picking up the other glass. She swallowed it in one gulp and stacked the glass next to his. "So why are you in here so often?"

"I dunno." Church leaned an elbow on the counter, studying her as she looked back at him. His black hair was kept short and slightly spiked, and his beard scruff seemed to be perpetually a week overdue for shaving, if she had to guess. She hadn't realized before that both York and Wash were always clean-shaven, unless they got lazy for a few days, but she'd never actually been with anyone with facial hair. "Guess I'm a creature of habit. Why are you here?"

Carolina smiled. "Just needed a break from some people."

"Boyfriend? Husband?" He smiled. "Girlfriend?"

"Boyfriend…I guess."

"Oh, I see. Are you a…" He lowered his voice. "A 'lady of the night'? I mean, that's cool if you are—"

"Fuck you, I'm not a prostitute!"

Church leaned back, still grinning. "Sorry, sorry. Just wanted to make sure. So, which is it—he's smothering you, or you're smothering him?"

"Wow, it's like talking to a professional therapist," Carolina snapped.

"Fuckin' right."

"Fine, you want the truth? I have two guys who are both in love with me and I don't know what to do about it, because one is trying to push me towards the other and that one is just pushing too hard as it is, and they're best friends and I've pretty much ruined their friendship and probably my relationships with both of them because I'm an _idiot_."

"Whoa, that was—okay, that was more than I was prepared to deal with. Hang on." Church took a long drink from his glass and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "Okay. Uh. _Two_ guys? And they're best friends? Shit, girl, you're _good_."

"It's not like that." Carolina was silent for a moment, listening to the droning of a really loud jukebox in the corner. "Fuck, maybe it _is_. I don't know."

"You're kinda fucked, huh?"

"Yeah. A bit."

"Another round, James. I think we're gonna be here a while."

(b)

"So what you're saying is…" Church waved his hands around as though to make a point, but immediately forgot what it was. "Uh. Something."

"Yeah, that's exactly it." Carolina giggled, trying to pick up her water glass and failing, instead watching her hand hit the table.

"No, no, wait. I got…got this." He propped up his elbow on the table and pointed at her. "You're saying…you don't know which one you like _more_."

"I think so?"

"But one was going to buy you a _house_."

"Which is bad!"

"_Carolina_." Church had been slurring for half an hour already, but it was increasingly worse as he tried to focus. "A fuckin' _house_. Come _on._ I don't even have enough money to pay my bills half the time. _And_ he's missing an eye? Don't chicks dig scars?"

"Fuck you, it's more complicated."

"And the other guy…Washingtub? He flew _from California_ just to see you?"

Carolina nodded, unable to look him in the eye.

"Fuck, woman. Just fucking _pick one_."

"What if I pick _wrong_?"

"The other will get over it." Church grinned. "Trust me. Had my heart stomped plenty and I'm still here."

"And barely conscious," she sniggered.

"Shuddup."

"I can't pick. I love both of them."

"I bet you love one more."

"I don't know."

"Okay." Church reached into his pocket and pulled out a quarter, setting it on the table. "'Sign sides."

"What?"

"Sides!" He poked the quarter. "Heads, Washingtub. Tails, Nick Fury. Then I'll flip. Simple as shit."

"I can't _flip_ for them!"

"Fine, I'll do it. Already picked anyway." He grabbed the quarter and flicked it up into the air, watching it fall back towards them.

"Fuck—what are you—"

Church caught the quarter and slammed his hand down on the table, peering underneath his palm. "Oooh, _interesting_. Very interesting _indeed_."

"What?!" She tried to shove Church's hand away from where it was bent over the coin, but he clamped down on it, shaking his head.

"Gotta pay for that information," he said, grinning.

"I'll get the next round," Carolina said, smacking his arm.

"Nope! Pricier than that."

"What—"

Church tilted his head and caught firmly her lips with his. She was already too drunk to push away and instead kissed him back, reaching up to wrap her hands around his head. Something scratched her palm and she pressed against it, moving her nails along the scruff of his chin.

"Oh yeah, right there," Church moaned, pressing the underside of his chin into her nails. "Come on, scratch it—"

Carolina laughed, digging her nails into the scruff a little more. Church groaned and inched closer, his hand squeezing her hip. "You're a little crazy," she whispered.

"Just appreciate someone with real _nails_ for once—_fuck_, a little harder," he said, lifting his head away just enough to kiss her again, biting her lower lip. "You're so fucking _hot_," he said between kisses, pulling her close with both hands, helping drag her onto his lap. She laughed and kissed him hard enough to shut him up, dragging one hand along his back as the other continued scratching his chin, rocking their hips together, her lower back knocking into the table.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: **

**I want to thank you guys for not freaking out TOO much that I put Church in here as a romantic interest. Clearly I'm not following all canon (Dakota and North aren't related, Dakota/Lee (aka 479er) aren't lesbians in the show, etc) but I wanted to bring Church in, and it was the more entertaining way.**

**Thanks for taking the survey, too! I've gotten a few responses, and I'm laughing because Grif/Simmons has actually gotten a couple votes. C'MON YOU GUYS, THEY'RE JUST BROS. THAT WAS A JOKE. D: But Yorkalina is currently leading, which is good, haha.**

**I hope you enjoy Church as much as I enjoy writing him. GOD, it's fun to just write a character who can be a dick. I think he and Carolina bounce off each other very well, personally. I'm already thinking about one-shot stories with the two of them... :D**

**Also, to commenter ARE WE IN A CAR: You should make a damn account so I can respond to your comments! You make me laugh so much, I appreciate them! As well as I appreciate ALL your guys' comments, seriously. So many feels. 3**

* * *

**Part 53**

"Goddammit, you asshole, just fucking _listen_ to me! Fuck—can I get _two words_ in? … Yeah, fuck you! Look, nothing happened, just—I don't _care_ who saw me leave, I didn't—_fuck you_!"

Carolina opened her eyes, trying to remember what happened. A quick glance out the window confirmed it was mid-morning, though she wasn't sure where she was. A poster on the far wall looked familiar and she frowned—was she in _her_ apartment? Something seemed…off.

After a moment of thinking, it occurred to her that it was probably Church wandering around at the foot of her bed, only wearing boxers and a scowl, which was the problem.

"C'mon, just—okay seriously, getting a little _tired_ of the constant interrupt—no, _you_ burn in hell!" Church threw his phone at the floor, glaring at it. "And _stay_ there!" he added, like it made a difference.

"Uh, what was that? And why are you in my room?" Carolina looked down and saw that she was covered with a sheet, but otherwise naked save for her underwear. Her sweater was on the floor next to the bed and she dove for it, yanking it over her head.

"You invited me back here," Church replied. "Don't worry; we only fooled around a bit. I mean, we were both pretty drunk, so I don't think a lot would have happened anyway. By the way, you are a _phenomenal_ kisser, just want to make sure you know that."

"_Great_."

"Apparently my brother saw us leave the bar together, that's who I was yelling at. Sorry if I woke you up." Church sat on the foot of the bed, scratching his chin. "_Shit_. He's gonna tell her I was sleeping around again. Mother_fucker_. I _hate_ him."

"Who cares what your ex-girlfriend thinks?" Carolina asked, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Because I still love her! Even though she fucking _hates_ me right now," he replied, shrugging. "We've sort of had this on-again, off-again thing for years now. But we've been in the off-again period for a few months, so I thought sleeping with someone else wasn't going to be a big deal. Not that she was ever going to find out about it, anyway. Unless that _fucker_ rats me _out_, that is."

"Maybe he won't?"

"Nah, he has it in for me. Been tryin' to break up me and Allison for ages. Apparently he 'doesn't approve' of my drinking habits or swearing, even though Allison's just as bad." He punctuated the words with air quotes. "Oh, your phone was ringing, but it went to voicemail. Couple hours ago, maybe, I was half-awake."

"Oh, shit. Where is it?" She climbed out of the bed towards the desk near the window, seeing it lying on top of her bra. Ignoring the fact that she was still in her underwear, she grabbed it and checked her missed calls, seeing that both York _and_ Wash had tried calling. "By the way, if you still love your ex, you should tell her that instead of sleeping around," she lectured over her shoulder, hearing Church laugh in response.

"Oh, I'm sorry, is this coming from the girl who loves two guys but just had _me_ sleep over?"

She tried to ignore him as she listened to her messages. The first was from York, asking her to pick up the phone at some point yesterday. Second was York again, wondering where she was. The next three were from Wash, sounding more freaked out as they went on, going on about how he hoped she wasn't dead or in the hospital or something. Finally the most recent one, from about two hours earlier, was from Grif.

"Hey, just wanted to say good job on the epic fuck-up with Wash and York. We've been at the hotel all night trying to figure out where you went, not to mention trying to sober up a _super_ drunk Wash—he's violent when he drinks, did you know that? Anyway—shut _up,_ Simmons, I'm leaving a fucking _message_ here—uh, yeah, if you're home, we'll be home later today, but we're gonna drive everyone to the airport in a bit. I'd suggest you showing up soon if you're gonna say goodbye. Later."

"Oh shit, I think they already—" She checked the time on her phone. "Uh, Church?"

He was busy texting someone on his phone, and looked up at her with a scowl. "Yeah?"

"Do you need a ride home? I've got to run." Carolina ran over to the closet and grabbed a clean shirt and pair of jeans, rushing to get dressed as Church's phone rang again.

"Hello?... No, I'm still fucking _pissed_ at you—don't you _dare_ call her… Mike, c'mon—_Caboose_, _sorry_, fucking seriously, worst nickname ever—no, I'm not yelling _at_ you, I'm yelling at the phone which is _near_ you. …_Fuck you_, tell her if you want, we're over! No—wait—Caboose—" He hung up the phone, clenching it in his hand as he looked around for his pants. "_Shit_. I'm not going home _now_. Can I come with you?"

Carolina rolled her eyes, buttoning her pants. "Whatever. I'm running to the airport though, so it's not going to be exciting for you or anything."

"Better than fighting with my brother." Church got dressed and made sure his wallet was in his pocket. He ran a hand through his hair and tried to flatten part of it. "Oh well, guess I'm good to go."

(b)

"Any idea where you're going?"

Carolina checked her phone, the notepad file open with the flight information showing on the screen. "Should be up ahead, but I'm too late. It's taking off in twenty minutes, and they'll have already gone through security by now, and are probably already on the plane. _Shit_."

"Did you really _want_ to see either of them?" Church asked, stopping to look around them. "Ooh, _coffee_. Fuck, I really need coffee. Want anything? It's on me."

"No."

"Okay. Back in a few." He sauntered off towards the small coffee shop and she stared down at her phone, as though it would reverse time enough that she could make it to the airport before everyone had left. She tried calling York, but his phone went straight to voicemail. Same with Dakota's and Wash's, and she didn't want to try CT.

"Great," she muttered. She walked towards the coffee shop and found Church waiting for his drink at the other end of the counter, scratching his chin as he tapped his foot. He smiled at her as she approached.

"I'll be ready to go in a minute. Did you catch them?"

"No, and no one's picking up their phones. I'm pretty much screwed."

"Carolina?"

She spun around to see Grif and Simmons sitting at a table a few feet away, sipping on coffees, looking exhausted. "What—why are _you_ two here?"

"Uh, we drove everyone here and decided to get breakfast, and then we got lazy and figured we'd people-watch. What are _you_ doing here? You're…" Grif checked his phone that was sitting on the counter. "You're a good hour late to actually do anything."

"You know these guys?" Church asked, taking a step closer to her.

She nodded. "They're my roommates."

"Who's this?" Simmons raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"Uh…"

"Leonard Church," he introduced himself, not offering a handshake. Simmons nodded, still giving Carolina a strange look.

"Simmons. And _this_ fatass is Grif."

"_Hey_!"

"So did Wash or York say anything before they left?" Carolina asked.

Grif shook his head. "Wash was really quiet the whole morning, and York barely said anything either. I don't think they're friends anymore. You, uh…you missed a pretty epic fight last night, gotta say. Where the hell _were _you?" he asked, eyeing Church, who scowled at him.

"I was…busy. And my phone was dead," she lied.

"Sure, sure."

Someone called Church's name and he went over to the counter to grab his drink, leaving Carolina being stared down by Grif and Simmons.

"So everyone left?"

"Well, North and Maine were at the hotel when we left, they're staying a few more days they said. Oh, Maine wants you to call him, I was supposed to pass on that message," Simmons said.

"Okay. I'll call him later." Carolina buried her face in her hands and sighed heavily. "Do me a favor," she said, her voice muffled from her hands. "If Wash calls you, tell him to call me?"

"Why don't _you_ just call him?"

"I tried, no one is answering. Not even Dakota."

"Yeah, she was pretty pissed too." Grif shrugged. "You done fucked up."

"Fuck _you_."

"I should get home," Church interrupted, grabbing Carolina's arm. She made a noise of protest but he spun her away, marching her out of the coffee house while carefully holding the coffee in his other hand. "Nice to meet you guys," he called over his shoulder as they left.

"Hey! What the fuck—"

"Look, I don't want to get involved in some major drama bullshit," Church said as they walked, winding their way around groups of people walking around the airport. "I mean, I kind of knew what I was in for since you told me all that stuff last night, but I thought you were over exaggerating or something. Guess you weren't."

"No," she said bitterly. "I wasn't."

"So I'm gonna do you a favor, even though you didn't ask. I'm gonna help get your mind off of all this shit and take you out for a proper dinner tonight."

She side-eyed Church as he sipped his coffee, his hand still on her arm. "Ex_cuse_ me?"

"I don't think Allison's gonna want to talk after my brother gets done talking to her, which he _will_, because he's an _idiot_. So I'm definitely going to be free tonight, and despite the hangover, I had fun last night." He glanced over at her, watching her blush. "Didn't you?"

"Well…yeah, I guess, but—"

"Good. How about I meet you at the bar around six? There's a great sandwich shop a few blocks over from there, we can keep it casual. But no talking about boyfriends or girlfriends or anything like that—just a nice, quiet dinner. Sound good?"

Despite everything in her brain yelling at her to say no, including Wash's voice, she nodded. "Sure, why not?"

_I deserve a break, don't I? Besides…I'm technically single anyway. It won't hurt to have a nice, quiet dinner._

They crossed the walkway leading to the parking garage and Church slid his hand down her arm, taking her hand in his. She didn't pull away.

**Part 54**

"Hey, it's me. I don't know if you guys have landed yet, but I just…I wanted to say I'm sorry. I don't really know what happened last night, but I should have been there. I'm sorry. Please call me back."

Carolina hung up and dialed another number, pressing the phone to her ear again. Voicemail.

"Hi…it's me. Look, I'm sorry about yesterday. I should have called you earlier. I shouldn't have ignored you. Everything is just really complicated right now, and I'm sorry. Honestly, Wash said some things that sort of freaked me out, and just—I know that's not an excuse, but I hope you'll call me back."

She set the phone on the counter and sighed, checking the clock. It was only three in the afternoon, and she had a few more hours until she was going to meet Church. She sat down on her bed and started running through what she would say, provided either Wash or York actually called her back.

(b)

"Hey. Hey, Dakota."

"Fuck off."

"Come on. Hey. Hey."

"_Shut_ _up_."

"C'mon, switch seats with me."

"_No_. Sit next to Wash like a man."

York pouted over the back of the chair he was crouched in, waiting for boarding to start. "I don't _wanna_. He's gonna punch me."

"Punch him first before he gets the chance," Lee said.

"Don't encourage him, Lee. York, go away."

"_Fine_." York turned and walked to the other set of chairs, flopping down next to CT and Brandon. He watched Wash stand up and approach Dakota, apparently asking her the same question, judging by the reaction he got.

"Go away!" Dakota yelled, dropping her head to her chest. "Stop _asking_ me stupid _questions_!"

Wash retreated and sat back down a couple seats away, pulling his phone out of his pocket. A few seconds later he looked up at York, who scowled at him, and frowned back, putting the phone away. They both stuck their tongues out at each other and CT reached across Brandon, smacking York on the shoulder.

"Grow the fuck up, you guys," she lectured. Brandon rolled his eyes and went back to reading his magazine as York continued pouting.

(b)

York made his way down the skinny airplane aisle, holding his duffle in his hand, looking for his row. Finally he reached Row 27 and saw Wash already sitting in the window seat, even though _he_ was supposed to sit there; he loved staring at the clouds, and Wash got sick just sitting in a car for too long, much less looking out an airplane window. He glared down at Wash, who glared back up at him, folding his arms across his chest.

"You're in my seat."

"You're in my _life_."

"Great comeback."

"So's your _face_."

York rolled his eyes and shoved the duffle into the overhead bin, sitting in the middle seat next to Wash. He felt something jab at his arm and looked over to see Wash retracting his elbow. Scowling, he angled his elbow and jabbed him right back in the arm, watching him wince.

"_Fuck_ you!"

"Hey, _kids_ are on board, asshole."

Wash turned and glared silently at the cover over the window as York reached into the seat back in front of him, pulling out the magazine that had all the awesome, useless toys that rich people bought. He settled in and started flipping through the pages, occasionally making a 'huh' noise at the more interesting items.

Eventually the flight attendants came out and did the safety demonstration, and York ignored Wash as he made remarks under his breath along the lines of 'not even if I was drowning' and 'yeah, like anything can support _that_ much idiocy.' York resisted the urge to elbow him again as the plane started to take off, and he leaned back in the seat, gripping the armrests.

He _hated_ flying.

The airplane kept trembling throughout takeoff and he closed his eyes, wishing he could be looking out the window at the sky instead of the blackness behind his eyelids. Something pressed against his forearm and he dared to crack open his eye, seeing that Wash's hand was holding his arm, squeezing it in what was probably supposed to be a comforting manner, but was almost too rough. He decided to let him continue, especially as the plane hit a small patch of increased turbulence as it righted itself in the sky.

The captain's voice came over the speaker to assure them that they were well on their way and to warn about keeping seatbelts on as York let up on his death grip on the armrests, flexing his fingers. He opened his eyes and felt Wash's hand quickly move way, reaching for the magazine in front of his own seat.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"Didn't do anything," was the reply, just as quietly.

York reclined his seat and reached across Wash, flipping up the visor over the window. Immediately Wash blanched and scrambled for his seat belt.

"Switch seats?"

"If you insist."

(b)

"So _I _said, if the plane can support so much weight, why not just pull a _smaller_ plane _behind_ it and have _that_ carry all the luggage? And _he_ said—"

York kicked the seat in front of him, exhausted beyond belief from the stupid blather the kid in front of him had been telling his friend. The kid popped his head over the back of the seat, glaring at York.

"You kicked me again."

"Sorry. Foot slipped. No room back here."

The kid narrowed his eyes and turned back around, settling into his seat as Wash chuckled. York glanced over at him and shrugged.

"Only took three hours for you to stop ignoring me?" he asked.

"Could say the same for you."

"Hmm. Point."

Awkward silence filled the space between them again as they listened to the humming of the plane and small talk.

"Sorry."

"About what?" York's first response on the tip of his tongue was '_should be'_ but curiosity got the better of him.

Wash shook his head. "I shouldn't have gotten involved with your relationship. I thought I could help, that's all."

"We might be beyond helping."

"No, don't say that." Wash looked at him, nudging his arm with his elbow. "She's just so damn independent. I shouldn't have pushed her."

"Did she really say…that…" He hesitated. "That, uh…she still loves you?"

"Yeah."

"Wash—"

"Look, it doesn't matter. I've already decided to let her go." Wash shrugged. "It's fine. I mean, it's _not_, but whatever. The two of us were never going to work out anyway."

"Why?"

"Because." He sighed. "Because we want different things. Because she's too…_something_, fuck, I don't know how to describe it. 'Independent' isn't really the right word, I can't think of it though. She's…she's _Carolina_, you know? She's—god, I really suck at talking right now. I can't think of the word I want—"

"You already said it."

"What?"

"The word. It's _Carolina_. That's who she is. That's _what_ she is. One and the same."

Wash went silent at that, as though contemplating what he'd said. "Yeah," he said quietly.

"Anyway, I'm done talking about it. I'm going to take a nap." York leaned against the window, shifting his body in an attempt to stop his legs from going numb. "Not like it'll probably happen, these fucking seats are so small."

Wash bent over and grabbed for his bag he'd stuffed under the seat in front of him, digging for something. A moment later he pulled out a hoodie and rolled it into a small dense square. He leaned around York and shoved it between his head and the window, letting out a small 'urk' noise as he accidentally looked outside.

York reached up and closed the window shade, leaning against the makeshift pillow. The unspoken thanks hung between them as Wash reclined his own seat, resuming going through the magazine. A few minutes later York was asleep, snoring lightly.

(b)

"_—sorry. Please call me back._"

Wash disconnected from his voicemail and tucked the phone back in his pocket, grabbing his suitcase handle to start dragging it towards the terminal exit. He saw York on his phone, apparently listening to a message himself, and decided not to wait around. It had been pushing his luck trying to be friendly on the plane, and now that he was home, he didn't want to give York a chance to punch him in the face.

(b)

"_That_ was probably the most awkward plane ride ever," CT chuckled, nudging Dakota as they walked. She nodded as a reply.

"Ugh, those stupid planes are _so_ small," Lee complained as she stretched her arms over her head, her oversized duffel hanging from her hands. "I really wish Maine had upgraded us to first class or something."

"I don't think he was _that_ willing to accommodate us," Brandon spoke up, for what seemed like the first time ever. Dakota raised an eyebrow at him.

"He _did_ pay for the hotel and everything too."

"No, I'm grateful, I just meant—ah, never mind. Did you guys have a good time?"

Lee nodded. "Yeah, we did a lot of sightseeing, it was fun! Excited to be back home though. Besides, I missed having alone time." She nudged up against Dakota, who coughed.

"What? Didn't you have your own room?" CT asked.

"We did, but we spent so much time out with everyone else or just sightseeing that we didn't have much time to relax. Though we _did_ hit up the hotel hot tub, which was pretty—"

"_Good_, it was good," Dakota finished. Lee giggled and held her bag with one hand, reaching over to smack Dakota's ass.

(b)

"…_I know that's not an excuse, but I hope you'll call me back_."

York watched Wash walk away as he listened to the voicemail again, trying to pick up on any subtle hints about…whatever he was hoping for, which he didn't know what that would be. Just something that maybe told him that she still loved him.

Dakota and CT walked past him, flanked by Brandon and Lee, as they left to find cabs to their own apartments. York sighed. He didn't _want_ to go home; North and Maine were still in New York, and he hated being in the apartment alone. He quickly debated asking one of the girls if he could stay with them for a couple of days, but realized they'd probably want their space, not to mention he was pretty sure Dakota was still pissed at him.

He started to dial Carolina's number, but hung up as soon as he hit 'call.' They had just left—surely she wanted some time to herself first.

(b)

Carolina stared at her phone, willing it to ring, hoping _either_ of them would call. It was five-thirty and she needed to leave to meet Church.

Heaving a sigh she stood up and tucked her phone into her purse, heading out into the front room. Grif was on the couch watching TV, munching on some crackers, while Simmons made pasta in the kitchen.

"How much do you want?" Simmons asked, holding up a ladle full of noodles. "Should be ready in about ten minutes."

"Did you throw it at a wall yet?" Grif called out.

"What?! Why would I do _that_?" Simmons replied, dumping the noodles back into the pot.

"To see if the noodles are ready!"

"I have no idea _what_ you are talking about."

"You're supposed to throw a noodle at the wall and if it sticks, it's good."

"That is the _dumbest shit _I have ever heard."

"I read it! It's legit!"

"Read it _where_?"

"Okay, fine, Jason told me once, but _still_!"

"You're a fucking idiot."

"Fuck you!"

"I'm going out for dinner," Carolina finally said, getting a chance to talk.

"Going to meet North and Maine?"

"No, just grabbing food by myself."

Simmons arched his eyebrow. "Uh huh."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Are you _dating_ that asshole?" Grif asked, suddenly right behind her. She jumped as she felt crumbs hit the back of her neck, turning to glare at him. He reached out and brushed off her neck with a muttered apology.

"No, I'm not. He's a friend."

"A _naked_ friend?"

"A _friend_," she repeated. "Can you drop it now?"

"Wow, you don't know us very well if you think _that_," Grif said.

Carolina smacked his arm and headed for the door. "Call if you need me. I'll be back later."

"Yeah, sure. Just make sure you use—" The end of Grif's comment was cut off by the door slam. He turned and grinned at Simmons. "Use his credit card to pay," he finished, and Simmons threw a noodle at him.

(b)

"Did someone punch you on the way over, or do you always look pissed off?" Church asked as she approached, her hands shoved in her pockets. The weather was nice enough to not need a coat, but she still had on a light jacket over her t-shirt.

"Do you always greet people so nicely?" she shot back, stopping in front of him. His hair was still slightly messed up, as he probably hadn't bothered to fix it since that morning.

"Fuck off," he said with a smile.

"You first."

"So, proper date is off to a good start." Church shifted his weight onto one foot and pivoted around, sliding his arm through the space between her elbow and waist, linking them together. "Let's go, I'm starving and I don't want to be seen loitering around outside a bar that isn't even open for another hour. Ruins the image."

"And what image is that?" she asked as they walked down the street.

"The carefully cultivated image of a sexy, sarcastic man who is in no way an alcoholic." Church laughed, bumping into her as he dodged around a fire hydrant. "And what image are _you_ working on? Silent and angry loner rebel?"

"_Loner_? Do you even remember what we talked about last night?"

"Oh, right, Washingtub and Nick Fury."

"Those aren't their names."

"But they're _funny_, and that's more important."

"You're not going to use their real names, are you?'

"Nope."

"So where's this sandwich place?" she asked, resisting the urge to smack his arm.

"A few blocks north of here. Don't worry, I'm gonna trick you or anything. I don't know you well enough for that."

"That's…reassuring."

They walked arm in arm, chatting about what they did that day. Church had gone over to his brother's apartment to yell at him, and apparently that hadn't gone well, judging by how angry he was getting talking about it.

"I told him nothing happened, but he's such a fucking dumbass that he said he'd already called Allison to tell her I was sleeping with someone else. Now I've got to kick his ass _and_ try to get her to talk to me, though she already left me a voicemail calling me an 'alcoholic fuckhead' and not to call her ever again."

"And this is a _regular_ occurrence?"

"Contrary to what you might think, I don't run around hitting on _every_ woman I see. I don't even flirt that often because it always gets back to her. I think Caboose is out to ruin my life."

"Caboose? Oh, your brother. That's a strange name."

"Michael's his real name, but he's loved trains and tanks and shit since he was a kid, so we started calling him 'Caboose' and it stuck."

Carolina laughed. "That's adorable."

"Dumber than a bag of bricks, but adorable. That's Caboose in a nutshell."

"Is he much younger than you?"

Church wrinkled his nose. "How old do you think _I_ am?"

"I don't know…twenty-eight?"

"Close enough. I'm actually thirty. You?"

"Twenty-eight," she chuckled. "Feel a lot older most days."

"Yeah, same. And he's twenty-four, so still plenty naïve."

"I wish I had siblings. I kind of hated being an only child."

"Oh _god_, never say that." Church shook his head. "I _wish_ I'd been an only child. God, having a younger brother is _so irritating_. Oh, turn right up here."

They turned onto another street as Church dropped her arm momentarily, reaching for his wallet. He flipped it open and pulled out a small picture, handing it to her.

A boy with floppy black hair with a goofy smile looked up at her, with an older boy standing behind him, hands on the younger boy's shoulders, a forced smile on his face. The older boy was wearing thick-rimmed glasses and looked like he'd swallowed a bug.

"That's me and Caboose about eight years ago," Church explained. "Fucker always looks so damn happy. The worst part was that picture wasn't even our parents' fault, like most shitty family photos are. No, that was _all him_. Worst day ever. Haven't let him take an updated one since."

"Your glasses are _awful_," Carolina said with a laugh.

"Fuck you, I have contacts." He tapped underneath his left eye. "I don't miss when playing darts now."

"Oh, I don't know. I'm pretty awesome."

"That sounds like a challenge."

She smiled. "Maybe."

"Then you're on," Church said with a grin.

(b)

The sandwich shop turned out to be _just_ a sandwich shop, to Carolina's relief. She had been slightly worried Church would take her to what turned out to be a nice restaurant, but as she ordered a turkey club, she started to feel much more relaxed. Their food came out quickly and they carried their trays to a table near the back, settling in.

"Tell me about Allison," Carolina said as she rearranged the lettuce on her sandwich to be less all-over-the-place.

"Wow, don't pull any punches." Church winced. "Can I not?"

"It's only fair, since you know about Wash and York."

"Who?"

She rolled her eyes. "Washingtub and Nick Fury, dumbass."

"I know, I just wanted to hear _you_ say those names."

"I hate you."

"That's probably a new record." Church ripped open his bag of chips, popping one into his mouth. A thoughtful look crossed over his face as he swallowed. "Allison. Man, that's a complicated story, to be honest."

"I understand complicated," Carolina nodded, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Well, we met…geez, eight years ago I think? I've lost track of time. Anyway, we met during senior year of college, and everything was great for a while, until she slept with someone else. We broke up, but then six months later we got back together."

"If she cheated on you, why'd you take her back?"

Church snorted. "Take her back? She took _me_ back. Not my finest moment, I'll admit, but I was already head over heels with her by that point. We made it another year before I made out with her best friend, which lead us to breaking up again."

"I'm sensing a pattern," Carolina observed.

"Yeah. That's pretty much continued over the years—one of us would sleep with someone else, we'd break up, and get back together later down the road. I even asked her to marry me last year, but she turned me down, saying she didn't want to ruin what we have."

She frowned. "That's…uh, not the _healthiest_ relationship."

"I _know_, but no matter what we do, we keep finding our way back to each other." Church sighed, eating another chip. "I like to think of her as my best friend who I happen to fuck a lot and have feelings for. We've actually told each other 'I love you' but that usually ends in a fight and another breakup. Man, if she just wasn't so _hot_ I wouldn't care so much."

"Have you tried dating anyone else over the years?"

"Yeah, sometimes. Usually doesn't last because I end up going back to her, or she tracks me down for sex and that doesn't sit well with the current girlfriend." Church snickered. "Man, it's a vicious cycle, let me tell ya."

Carolina laughed. "You're definitely fucked up."

"I'm taking that as a compliment."

"Please do. You seem oddly proud of it."

"Eh. It's been going on so long, I don't really think of it as _weird_ anymore."

"Yeah, I could see that."

"So anyway. Did you get in touch with either of the guys?"

Carolina leaned back in her chair, studying her sandwich. "Not yet. I left messages but they haven't called back yet. I was hoping _one_ of them would, but…"

"Shit, _sorry_, I said I was going to distract you tonight." Church pushed his sandwich tray away and stood up, coming over to her side of the table to sit next to her. She noticed that he had a peculiar cologne, sort of spicy and pleasing, as he leaned over, stealing a piece of tomato that had fallen to her tray. "So…how about those sports?"

"I don't care about sports much," she replied with a chuckle.

"Movies?"

"Haven't seen any lately, too busy with school."

"Oh, you're in school? What for?"

"Grad school, for architecture."

"Wow, so you design buildings and shit?"

Carolina nodded. "Yeah, hopefully someday. I've got another year till I graduate."

Church pressed his arm against hers, his hand finding its way to her knee. "That's coming up soon."

"Ugh, yeah. And I'm nowhere near ready to figure out what I want to do with my life."

"Is _anyone_, though? I sure don't know what _I'm_ doing."

"What _do_ you do?"

"I'm a call center manager," Church said with a frown. "Super exciting, trust me. I get to yell at people who slack off, though, so that makes the days go by relatively quickly.

"How'd you get into that sort of job?"

"It was my temp job during school, and I just kept getting promoted. The previous manager died of an allergic reaction to aspirin, if you can believe it. That was a crazy day."

"Aspirin?"

"Yeah, we thought he was having a heart attack so we gave him aspirin. He never told us he was allergic." Church shrugged. "He was an old guy anyway, no family, so…I dunno. It was sad, but it could have been worse I guess. Could have been a younger guy."

"True."

They were quiet for a few minutes, picking at their food. Church's hand stayed on her knee, squeezing occasionally, and she leaned back against his arm, enjoying the warmth.

"Man, I suck at distracting you from sad shit, huh?"

"It's okay. Did you want to do anything after dinner?"

Church sat up. "We should go play darts."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, why not? I said I was going to take you on a proper date, and dates involve drinking challenges, don't they?"

Carolina shook her head. "No, I meant, are you sure you're ready to _lose_? Because I would feel terrible if I made you cry."

"You're a bitch," Church said with a grin.

"Is that a problem?"

"Not even a little bit."


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: ***Continuity note: Like, last section or something I implied that Church and Caboose didn't live together. I fixed that so they do, so no bitching (just not bothering to change it online). Also, Jason (Grif and Simmons' ex-roommate) is not meant to be Tucker, these are two separate people. Also also, if I didn't mention before, I also changed the name of the girl Simmons was sorta dating before to some other random name (originally it had been Allison but wasn't meant to imply Tex, whereas Church's Allison IS meant to stand in for Tex). Sorry if any of that is confusing.*****

* * *

**Part 55**

"If you make this shot, I'll make out with you."

Church focused, his stance set, hand only wavering slightly as he stared across the expanse of sticky tile between him and his target. He brought his hand back and moved it forward in one swift motion, releasing the dart, watching as it sailed just to the left of the board, sticking firmly in the wall.

"_Fuck_."

"Oh well, bad luck." Carolina checked the chalkboard to their right as she sipped her beer. "Looks like I'm in the lead by…well, I won't say how many points because that would be _rude_, but a lot."

"You _distracted_ me! That's not _fair_!" Church whined.

"Don't be a bitch about it, it's just a game. But man, your aim is _horrible_. Were you even _trying_?"

"Shut the fuck up." Church reached out and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her in for a kiss. Carolina laughed and kissed him again, enjoying the feeling of not worrying about anyone but herself for a little while.

(b)

"I think I need some water," Carolina giggled, leaning against Church as they snuggled in a booth at the pub where they'd finished their dart matches. She'd won the first few games easily, but he'd managed a comeback during games four and five and they called it a tie after he won game six. Both of them were pretty wasted, which was probably why Church had managed to win so many games.

"I think you're fine," Church replied, nuzzling against her neck, kissing at her pulse point. She half-heartedly tried to shove him away but he persisted. "C'mon, let's go back to my place."

"What about Caboose?"

"What _about _him?" He continued kissing her throat, his hands on her waist.

"Don't you live together? What if he's home?"

"It's Sunday, he'll be at his friend's house, building robots or whatever," he murmured. "We should at least get out of here; we can go back to _your_ place if you want."

"Grif and Simmons will be home, can't do—_oh_." She cut off as one of his hands slipped underneath her shirt, scratching lightly at her lower back. "Okay, your place is fine."

"Good. I already paid the tab."

(b)

Church fumbled with his keys as he tried to open the door to his apartment, nearly dropping them a couple of times before connecting with the keyhole. Carolina was leaning against his arm, trying to steady herself as he grumbled under his breath about the 'fucking lock being so fucking stupid.' Finally the door swung open and they stumbled inside, already locked in a kiss, his hands trailing down her backside before dipping underneath her thighs, lifting her up off the ground. Her chest trembled with laughter as she kissed his jawline, reaching one hand up to scratch his chin.

"_Fuck_, you remembered—right there, _yeah_—"

"Church?"

He stopped moaning and turned them around slightly so he could get a better view of the disembodied voice that had come from the couch. A young man was sitting there, a laptop on the cushion next to him, a game controller in his hand as he gaped up at the two of them.

"Oh, fuck _me_—Caboose, what are you doing _home_?" Church growled, carefully setting Carolina back down on the floor. She quickly moved to stand near the door as Church stomped over to Caboose, glowering over him.

"Playing games with Tucker," he replied, gesturing to the laptop. The camera was on and Skype was running. The African-American pain-in-his-ass waved at him with a grin, pushing some of his floppy black hair out of his face.

"Hey Church!"

"Fuck off, Tucker. I need to talk to Caboose."

"Dude, _you_ fuck off. Oh, wait, looks like you got cock-blocked again, so I guess not. Bow chicka bow—"

"I'll call you back," Caboose cut him off, quickly closing the laptop lid. "Uh, sorry, we got bored building robots and decided to play some Halo instead."

"And you couldn't have done that at _his_ house?"

"My controller was _here_. And you said you had a date!"

"Which you _know_ means _stay out of the goddamned house_!"

"Language," Caboose warned, shaking his head.

"For fuck's sake, Tucker is _just as bad_, and I've never heard you lecture _him_!"

"Tucker says he is allowed to swear because he earned it as a 'man of color,'" Caboose replied sagely.

"Jesus, are you fucking _kidding_ me—"

"Hi!" Caboose waved at Carolina, who waved back, having unsuccessfully tried to melt into the floor from embarrassment. "You look nice. Who are you?"

"Uh, I'm Carolina. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Caboose! I'm Church's younger brother." He set down his controller and stood up, pushing past Church to come over to her, sticking out his hand. "Is he nice to you? Because he's not nice to many people."

"Yeah, he's nice enough," she replied, trying not to laugh.

"That's good." Caboose turned back to Church, frowning. "Why are you on a date with Carolina if you're dating Allison?"

"Caboose, I fucking _told_ you, Allison dumped me."

"Then why didn't you want me to tell her I saw you leaving the bar with a girl?"

"Because that causes unnecessary _stress_ and we don't _need_ to fight any more than we already _do_, that's why!"

"Hey, Caboose, can I have a moment alone with Church?" Carolina interrupted. He looked at her and nodded.

"Okay. I need to go to the bathroom anyway." He gave Church a stern look and headed off towards the hallway, closing a door behind him. Church's head was buried in his hands and he let out a groan.

"I'm _so sorry_ about him. He wasn't supposed to _be_ here—I just _know_ this is Tucker's fault somehow— "

"Hey, it's okay," she assured him. "It's late anyway, I should get home."

"You could…stay _here_, if you wanted." Church raised an eyebrow. "I mean, we already had a good rhythm going, we could just—"

Carolina's phone ringing from her jacket pocket interrupted him and she reached for it, seeing that CT was calling her. "Oh, fuck, I need to answer this. Hang on." She answered the call, trying to ignore Church grabbing at her hips. "Hey, CT, what's up?"

"Hey, girl, did either of them call you yet?"

Carolina sighed. "No, not yet. Hang on a sec." She moved the phone down to her chest to block the speaker as she hissed '_stop it_' at Church, who'd been kissing her neck. He grinned up at her and slid his hands under her shirt, working at her bra clasp as she tried to continue talking. "Uh—did either of them talk to you after the flight home?"

"Nah, they were pretty quiet and we all went home separately. Wash called me earlier and asked if I wanted to hang out, so I'm gonna head over there pretty soon. He sounded pretty annoyed."

"Oh. Okay. Can you keep me posted?"

"Sure. What the hell are you doing? You're breathing really heavily and it's freaking me out."

"Just—moving the couch around, I got bored with the layout. Oh, Grif needs me to lift the other end, I better go. Just a sec, Grif!" she called out, trying to sell the lie.

"Did you need me? My name isn't Grif, it's Caboose," Caboose shouted from the hallway. Apparently he'd been creeping his way back to the couch.

"Who was _that_?"

"I'll call you later." Carolina hung up the phone and shoved it in the back pocket of her jeans as Church nipped at her collarbone. She felt her bra hanging open against her back and shook her head, reaching back to close it as Church sighed.

"Come on, let's just go to bed," he whined, gesturing towards the hallway. "Caboose will stay out here and play his game, he won't even hear us."

"Are you guys gonna go make noises in Church's room?" Caboose asked. "I can wear my headset and talk to Tucker."

"Make noises—god, Caboose, you're twenty-four years old. It's called _sex_," Church said.

"I don't like that word."

"You're such a fucking weirdo."

"Hey! Language!"

"Look, I should go. This was…interesting," Carolina said with a chuckle.

"But—_no_, come _on_—"

"It was nice to meet you, Caboose." She waved at him and he waved back from the couch, opening his laptop again, controller in his hand. She leaned in and kissed Church on the cheek, watching him pout. "Can I talk to you in the hallway for a second?"

"Uh, sure." He led them outside and half-closed the door behind them, giving her a look. "What's up? Tease me and leave me, huh?"

"Look, Church, this is…a little weird for me, okay? And I don't want you to think this is—"

"Oh god, no, not the brush-off speech. Hey, let me say something real fast, okay?" She nodded and he reached out, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We're not dating, Carolina. I know we just met last night, and we've already fooled around twice. That's a pretty good record for me, to be honest. But I knew what this was going into it, considering you told me all your shit last night while drunk, and all I'm trying to do is be a distraction for you, and vice versa. Got it?"

Carolina frowned. She wasn't used to such honesty from _anyone_, much less a guy. "A distraction?"

"Me and Allison, we're in one of our 'off' periods right now, which sucks for me because she's probably off banging another guy, but whatever. And you, you have _enough_ problems with those two guys without needing to add me to the mix. So look. This can just be a casual thing where we hang out and maybe make out, if that's fine with you."

"I—uh, I don't really _do_ casual," Carolina replied, thrown off. "I mean—I'm usually in a relationship, and with Wash and York, it's just so complicated—"

"Which is _precisely_ why you _need_ a distraction. So why don't we just have some fun while you figure out what you want?"

_It _seems_ like a good option right now. No strings, just having fun_… "I appreciate you trying to help, it's just…_weird_ for me, because I don't normally go home with random guys. I was really emotional, and drinking so much probably wasn't the best idea—"

"_Fuck_, Carolina. Don't feel guilty for letting loose. You've been bouncing between these guys for, what, _months_ now? You're not actually _dating_ either one right now, so you're _not_ doing anything _wrong_, despite what you're probably telling yourself this very minute." He dropped his hand from her shoulder and leaned against the doorframe.

She wanted to cry, and bit her lip to keep herself in check. "We barely know each other, Church. We can just walk away and it won't matter."

"_Christ_, this is why I hate women. Always overthinking shit." Church shook his head. "Look, call me if you want to hang out, as friends or as anything else. I just don't want to be the guy you dump all your shit on, okay? Sounds like Washingtub is more the guy for _that_ shitty job."

"Hey, don't make fun of—"

"Both of these assholes have been trying to get you to commit to them, and what do you do? Play them off each other. I've never even _met_ these guys but I don't _want_ to, if they're gonna just be doormats."

"They're not _doormats_!" she exclaimed, clenching her fingers into a tight fist.

"Wash sits there for _months_ and never makes a move, always being the one to listen to you. You _told_ me that _yourself_. And York offers to buy you a house, asks you to_ marry him_, and you turn him down. Come _on_, Carolina. That takes fucking _balls_ to ask someone to marry you, do you realize how much that probably hurt him when you said _no_ and went running to the other guy, his _best friend_? And for some fucking reason, he _keeps trying._" Church shook his head. "I've been there, and it fucking _sucks_."

She was at a loss for words and stood in the hallway, too shocked to think straight. Church shrugged and pushed himself away from the door frame, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Look, maybe you just needed me to tell you the harsh truth, which I'm happy to provide. I've dated girls too full of their own _shit_, and I don't think you're like that. I really don't. I think you're just confused about what _you_ want, and maybe I can help you figure it out. Free of charge, because I'm nice like that." He smiled at her and pushed the door open behind him. "Call me sometime."

"Bye, Carolina!" Caboose yelled out as the door shut in her face, leaving her in the hallway, numbly staring at the metal apartment number nailed to the wood.


	32. Chapter 32

**Part 56**

A few weeks passed before York finally got the courage to call Carolina, having run out of excuses. He sat on the floor in his room and dialed her number, leaning against the foot of his bed.

The apartment was too quiet as he listened to the phone ring. North and Maine had decided to stay in New York even longer so they could go ring shopping, and when they finally came home they started spending most of their time talking about weddings and stuff he couldn't bear to hear about, so he stayed away. He was getting lonely. And he'd been alone with his thoughts for too long. His thoughts were not good at the moment and he desperately needed a distraction. He'd even debated asking Wash if he could borrow Epsilon, but nixed the idea when he realized Wash was still angry at him (Dakota had passed along the sentiment).

"Hello?"

_Fuck, she actually _answered? "Uh…hey."

"How are you doing?" She sounded…okay. Chipper, even.

York shrugged, and then realized she couldn't see him do that. "I've been okay, I guess. Sorry I didn't call you sooner."

"It's okay, I understand."

"So…you probably heard what happened with Wash, huh?"

"I got the gist of it." He heard her sigh into the phone. "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you sooner, York. I really am. I appreciate you giving me time to think, though."

"That wasn't really a _choice_, to be honest. I was just too afraid to call you," he admitted.

"Yeah…same here."

"What have you been thinking about?"

"You and me. And me and Wash. And about myself in general."

"And?" He wanted to punch the wall, but it was too far away so he settled for punching the floor out of frustration of hearing Wash's name.

"I've been awful to both of you, and…I think it'll be good for me to take some time to myself."

_Fuck_. That was _exactly_ what he _didn't_ want to hear. "Oh."

"Sean?"

"Yeah."

The line was silent for a moment. "I still love you."

He picked at the carpet, his hand stinging from the punch. "Okay."

"Do you believe me?"

"Yeah."

"…Okay."

"I gotta go." York hung up the phone without saying goodbye, dropping it on the floor as he reached up to touch his scar, gently tracing the faded lines.

(b)

"That didn't sound like it went well."

"Could have been worse. Could have been a _lot_ better, but it definitely could have been worse." Carolina set the phone down on the arm of the couch.

"Have you called Washingtub yet?" Church looked up at her, his head in her lap. They'd been sitting on the couch watching a movie when York called.

She shook her head. "No. He hasn't called me either."

"His loss."

She smiled, reaching down to fluff his hair. "Aw, thanks."

"I mean, _now_ how is either of them going to fill the bitch-sized void in their hearts?" Church asked, grinning.

"Fuck you!"

"Okay!"

"_God_, seriously, lay off."

Church pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're no fun."

"You're an asshole."

"Yeah, and?"

"And I want to get back to the movie." She pressed play on the DVD remote and they watched the screen for a few minutes, Church still laying his head in her lap as she played with the scruff on his chin.

"That was brave of you to tell him," he said quietly, glancing up at her as she paused the movie again. "Did you make your decision?"

"I'm taking some time to myself. You heard me."

"Well, for now, but _later_. I mean, you said you love him."

"Because I _do_." Carolina was _tired_. Tired of thinking, tired of talking about her feelings. She'd had to endure a lecture from North about blowing off all of them during their vacation, and she hadn't even confided in anyone about Church yet. "But you were right when you said I needed to take some time to myself and think about what I want. And right now, I just want to not think about things and have some fun."

"I still think you should call Washingtub."

"Are you _ever_ going to use their real names?"

"Fuck no."

She rolled her eyes and pressed 'play' again. After another few minutes Church sat up and grabbed the remote away, pausing the movie yet again. "What the hell?" she said, glaring at him.

"Call him. I'm curious."

"What?! I'm not going to call him just because _you_ want to see me suffer!"

"Come on, just do it." He reached for her phone and started flipping through the contacts as she fought to steal it back.

"Fucker! _Stop_ that!"

"Whoops, already dialed!" He'd found Wash's name and hit 'dial,' hearing the phone begin to ring. She grabbed it away just as she heard a faint "Carolina?" come from the speaker.

"_Shit_. Wash?"

"Did you pocket dial me or something?" He sounded confused.

"No, I just—never mind, it's not important. How have you been?"

"Uh, good, I guess. Just busy working. Been hanging out with CT and Brandon the past few days. He's a pretty cool guy."

Church made the 'hurry it up' hand gesture and she swatted him away. "So…I'm sorry we left things on such bad terms last week."

"Are you really?" Wash sounded as tired as she felt.

"Yeah. I shouldn't have told you all that."

"Probably not."

"Sorry, again."

"Have you talked to York? He's been waiting to hear from you."

"Yeah, actually, we just talked."

"How'd that go?"

"Uh…okay, I guess. Look, I need to be honest with you, and tell you what I told him."

"Which is?"

"Wash…I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I've realized that I've treated both of you terribly."

"A bit, yeah."

"I used you to talk about him way more than was appropriate, and I don't think I ever truly gave _you_ a chance, because I was always thinking about what could have been. And that's not fair to you. It never was."

"That's…not exactly what I wanted to hear, Lina."

"Just…give me a minute. I'm sorry, I didn't really think about how to say all this." Carolina took a deep breath, glancing at Church, who gave her a thumbs-up and a small smile. "I'm going to take some time to myself and figure out my own issues."

"Isn't that what you've been _doing_?" Wash asked, sounding annoyed.

"I was _trying,_ but…not really."

"Oh. Well, fine then. Sounds good."

"Wash, don't be mad—"

"I'm not _mad_," he interrupted. "I'm _disappointed_ in you, Lina. I'm _mad_ that you thought I was trying to control you, or decide things for you. I really _was_ only trying to help you and York. He's seriously been _insufferable_ since you two broke up last year. You fucking _wrecked_ him. But putting that aside, I'm disappointed that you're _still_ letting people push you around."

"_What_ people—"

"_Everyone_. You keep asking everyone _else_ what you should do instead of just deciding for yourself. I hope you figure out what _you_ want, okay? And despite everything in my body telling me otherwise, I _still_ want to be friends with you. So do me one favor, and _don't_ shut me out. Okay?"

"Okay."

"_Promise_?"

"I promise."

"Okay. Do you still love me?"

She smiled. "I do."

"Romantically?"

"…I think more as a friend."

"Awesome, that's more like it. You know why we wouldn't work out, right?"

"No?" _What a strange question_.

Wash chuckled. "Me neither. But I'm sure there's a reason."

"You're so weird."

"I know."

"I'll talk to you soon."

"Good. Take care, Lina."

"You too, Wash." She hung up and looked at Church, who was grinning like an idiot. "What's your deal? Are you _that_ happy that I called him?"

"It was heads."

"Huh?"

"The coin flip." Church mimed a coin toss. "Remember? It was heads. Washingtub."

"…I fucking _hate_ you."

"Hey, it was a fifty percent chance!"

"What good does _that_ do?"

Church reached out and placed his hands on her cheeks, still grinning. "Now you know who you really care about, without any influence from me _or_ the fates. You've decided on Nick Fury, haven't you?"

"_Please_, call them by their _real_—"

He interrupted her with a kiss and she frowned as they parted. "It's progress," Church said, rubbing her cheekbone with his thumb. "Whether you believe yourself or not."

"I still want to take some time to myself," she replied.

"Hey, as long as that means fooling around with _me_, I give you my full support."

Carolina laughed. "I know we shouldn't be, but I like how you make me feel."

"Uh—"

"You don't coddle me, or make me talk about my feelings, or any of that shit. I like just being free to hang out with you and not feel guilty about it," she continued. The look on Church's face changed from apprehension to amusement rather quickly.

"Because feelings are shit," he said with a smile.

"Sometimes they are," she agreed.

"So…sex?"

She reached down and grabbed a small pillow from the floor, swinging it up to hit him in the head. He yelped and knocked it out of her hand, grabbing her wrists to push her onto her back, hovering over her as she giggled.

"That didn't seem like a no to _me_."

**Part 57**

York dragged himself into the apartment, tossing his keys on the counter as he reached up to loosen his tie. Finally getting the knot undone, he yanked it off and threw it away from himself as he went into the kitchen for a snack.

"Getting home awfully late," he heard North say, and he whipped around to see him sitting on the couch, reading a magazine.

"What the _fuck_?" York sputtered, glaring at him. "You _creeper_, what are you doing just sitting in my apartment?"

"Maine is going on about flowers and we had a fight and I didn't want to deal with it so I came over, thinking you'd be home, but apparently I was wrong. Where were you?" He took in the sight of York's pressed suit, frowning. "And why are you so dressed up?"

"I was…out. With friends," York replied, grabbing a box of crackers from a cabinet.

"You don't _have_ any friends."

"Oh, fuck _you_."

"Seriously, York. I haven't seen you hang out with anyone but me and Wash for years."

"I know Chris," York argued. "The guy that got me the construction job."

"Okay, _one _friend. Were you with _him_?"

"…Sure."

"Why are you acting so weird?" North narrowed his eyes. "Were you on a date?"

"Wow,_ so_ none of your business."

"Come on, seriously. _Were_ you on a date?"

"I was with a _girl_, yes, but it wasn't a _date_."

"York—"

"Look, North, I _don't_ want to talk about this right now, okay? Can we just drop it?"

"It's been _three months_ since New York. Are we _ever_ going to talk about it?"

"When I feel like it. Now can you leave? I need a shower, and I don't feel comfortable with you here when I'm naked. That's what you have _Maine_ for." He flexed an arm as he ate a cracker. "Unless you really want to hit this, for which I wouldn't blame you."

"Oh, I _want_ to hit that, but not in the way _you're_ referring to." North rolled his eyes. "Fine. Call me later, okay? I feel like I barely see you anymore. Are you and Wash talking yet? He's been pretty AWOL too."

York shrugged. "We're fine. We had dinner a few weeks ago, and I'm supposed to cat-sit for him next week when he goes out of town for a few days. Some teacher conference or something, I don't know."

"Oh. Okay." North moved towards the door. "Hey, York?"

"Yeah."

"I'm here if you need to talk."

"Thanks."

North left, closing the door behind him as York sagged against the sink. He started the faucet and leaned down to take a drink, letting the water splash over his mouth without caring that it was getting the collar of his shirt wet. He heard his phone ring and quickly shut off the water, grabbing a hand towel to wipe his face as he grabbed for the phone in his pocket, answering.

"Hey, is something wrong? …No, the numbers are right, it's not _our_ problem. …No, I mean, it _is_ our problem, but I'll have to talk to the client tomorrow. …Tonight? But I just got home—no, no, it's fine, I'll see what I can do. …Okay, later." He hung up with a sigh, glancing at the sleeve of crackers abandoned on the counter. He wasn't going to get to eat anytime soon, it looked like.

Suddenly he really missed his construction job. Having an office job wasn't all that it was cracked up to be.

(b)

Wash stared at the clock next to the TV and sighed. It was only six and way too early to really go to bed. He wasn't _that_ old.

Epsilon mewed from the floor and hopped up onto the couch, winding his way around Wash's legs. The fucker wasn't a kitten anymore, and Wash was not-so-gently reminded of that fact as he stepped on Wash's stomach, kneading his clothes.

"_Ow_, god _damn_ it, Epy!" he cried out, shoving the cat away. He meowed in protest and stalked off towards his food bowl. "Yeah, like you need to eat _more_," he muttered. "Fat-ass…I should rename you Grif."

At the thought of Grif he started thinking about Carolina, realizing they hadn't talked in about a week. She'd kept her promise of being friends, and they talked fairly regularly, though it was never about anything too serious. One time she mentioned church, and he'd asked if she'd turned religious recently, but she'd brushed it off with a joke and never said anything about it after that.

He reached for his phone that had fallen to the floor earlier and dialed Carolina's number, listening to it ring on her end. It went to voicemail and he hung up, not really in the mood to talk anymore.

(b)

"Hey, um…Carolina? Can I maybe, um, talk to you for a minute?"

She looked up from her book to see Caboose winding his fingers together nervously, having set his game controller down. "Yeah, what's up?"

"Um…I just wanted to, you know, talk to you about something before Church comes back from the store," he said, frowning as though concentrating really hard.

"Okay…what is it?" She set the book down on her lap and smiled at him.

"I don't like Allison."

"Oh." She didn't really know what to say to that. "Uh, this sounds more like something you should talk to Church about—"

"She's a meanie-head and makes fun of me and is mean to Church," he continued, shaking his head. "I've been trying really, really hard to break them up, but it never works. Do you think you could help me?"

Carolina blinked, confused. "Uh. What."

"She goes out with other guys and steals money from Church's wallet when he isn't looking and makes him sad. Can you talk to her and make her stay away?"

"Caboose, listen to me." She reached out and took his hand in hers, squeezing lightly. "I'm really sorry Church is with Allison, because she _does_ sound like a mean lady, but he loves her and I hope she loves him. I don't think that's going to stop anytime soon, especially since they're back together right now."

"I know." He looked sad. "I keep telling her about Church's dates but she doesn't listen to me and I just want him to be happy, like he is with you. And _you_ don't make fun of me. Well, you tease me sometimes but I know you don't really mean it."

"Wait a minute, Caboose. You've been _trying_ to break them up all this time?" The realization was just dawning on her. "You're not doing it just to be mean to Church?"

"Mean to Church? Why would I do _that_? I _love_ Church!" Caboose frowned. "Is that what he told you? He lies a lot, that _would_ be like him to say that. But Allison lies a lot more, and I don't like her. I never have. I wish she would go away for good."

She let go of Caboose's hand and rubbed her forehead. "God…okay, Caboose, I'm glad we had this talk, but can you do me a favor?"

"Sure!"

"Can you not say anything about this to Church until I've had a chance to talk to him?"

"Okay." He picked up his game controller again and resumed the game, talking quietly to himself about various missions he still needed to complete. Carolina picked up her book and tried to continue reading, but couldn't focus on the words.

(b)

"Dinner's ready. Fucktard, you get food last because you never leave enough for everyone else."

"That's not fair!"

"It's totally fair, shut up. Carolina, how much do you want?" Church started cutting slices of lasagna in the pan.

"Just a small piece is fine, I'm not really hungry." She waited for him to hand her the plate of food and smiled at him, seeing him smile back. "Thanks."

"Drinks are in the fridge. Can you grab me a beer?"

"Sure." She grabbed two bottles from the fridge and walked over to the dining room table where Caboose was sitting, pouting because he didn't have food yet.

"Okay, you're up, moron."

"Stop calling me names," Caboose muttered, going over to the kitchen. He grabbed a plate and started shoveling lasagna onto it angrily. Church rolled his eyes and picked up his own plate with a hefty slice on it, carrying it over to the table to sit next to Carolina.

"Thanks for inviting me for dinner," she said, cutting off a corner of her lasagna. "The roommates are working late tonight and I didn't want to eat alone."

"Yeah, of course." Church used the bottle opener on his key ring to pop open the beer bottle, opening hers as well. He took a swig and set the bottle down, starting to dig into his food. "Caboose likes having you over, and besides, Allison canceled on me anyway."

"How's that going?"

"Eh, same old." He chewed a bite and swallowed, shrugging at her. "Hasn't cheated on me in three weeks, I consider that an improvement. Though who knows what she's doing tonight…"

Caboose gave Carolina a look as he sat down, carefully setting his overly filed plate in front of him. "Allison is a mean lady," he said quietly, picking up his fork.

"Shut the fuck _up_, Caboose. You've said that like a _million times_. I know you hate me, but you really need to stop making my life miserable."

"It ever occur to you that maybe he's not _trying_ to make you miserable, that maybe he's trying to _help_ you?" Carolina asked as she poked at her food.

"No, because he's an _idiot_. That's a weird question." Church looked at her oddly. "Why say something like that?"

"No reason, just thinking out loud." She didn't look up, knowing that Caboose was probably giving her another look.

"What are _you_ grinning about, dipshit?" she heard him ask Caboose.

"Nothing."

She dared to look up and saw Caboose smiling widely at her as he played with his food. She smiled back and Church shook his head.

"Oh geez, don't tell me you're taking _his_ side. Look, Caboose has been trying to ruin my life for _years_," Church said.

"Yeah, maybe you two should have a talk about that," Carolina replied with a shrug.

"About _what_?"

Before she could deny anything, Church's phone rang and he scowled, digging it out of his pocket. "Hello? Oh, hey hon. I was just—what do you _mean_ you 'fucked up'? What's that supposed to—are you fucking _kidding me_? I _told_ you not to go back to that bar… No, I'm not going to come pick you up! I don't _care_ how drunk you are! …Fuck _you_, you cheating _bitch_! I'm so glad you could stop making out with some asshole for two seconds to call me about this! No, fuck _you_, we're _done_!" He threw the phone over the kitchen counter and listened to it smash against the tile, dropping his head to the table top with a groan.

"That didn't sound good," Caboose muttered, staring down at his food.

"_Fuck off_."

"Do you want to talk about it—"

"Not _now_, Carolina."

"Okay." She and Caboose continued eating as Church kept his head on the table, his shoulders shaking slightly.

(b)

Church was wrapped around her, one arm draped over her as they spooned, her back against his chest, his other arm underneath her shoulders. They'd been lying like that for a while, pretty much since after dinner when he'd grabbed her arm and dragged her into his bedroom, leaving Caboose to clean up the dishes.

Church had taken the lead, pushing her up against the wall, pinning her to the plaster with his body, his tongue spreading her lips apart as they each wrestled for control of the kiss. Thankfully he'd been wearing a button-up shirt and she practically ripped it open, trying to match his intensity as he slid a hand down her side and grabbed a fistful of her skirt, pushing it up out of the way. It hadn't taken long after that until she was giving in to him, his jeans pushed down around his thighs, taking her against the wall with rough kisses along her collarbone, sucking at the skin, leaving marks that she didn't care about at the moment.

"It's over this time," Church murmured, stroking her arm.

She chuckled. "You say that _every_ time."

"No, I mean it." He sat up a little, looking down at her. "It's really over. I'm going to tell her tomorrow."

"Right before you have make-up sex?" she replied, craning her head back to look at him.

"_No_. It's been too long, and I get it. It's never going to work with us." He frowned, tracing patterns along her skin. "Pretty pointless to even consider it, especially since I have something better."

Carolina stiffened, her eyes opening wide. "What?"

"Oh, don't freak out, I'm not asking you to move in or anything. I just thought…well, maybe we can make this a bit more exclusive for right now."

She had no idea what to think, much less _say_. Church apparently took her silence as consideration of the idea.

"Hey, no pressure. You don't have to be a girl about it and freak out. I just thought it'd be nice if we hung out more. I think you're fun to be around, that's all." She remained silent and he sighed. "Okay, sorry I fucking brought it up, okay? Just forget it." He pulled away and climbed off the bed to find his boxers as she stared up at the ceiling.

"What happened to being just a distraction?" she finally said, as he was trying to button his shirt he'd located under the desk.

Church shrugged. "You _are_ a distraction, but I like you distracting me. If that makes sense."

"Uh—"

"Look, I don't _love_ you or anything. Hell, some days I don't even _like_ you, what with you and Caboose getting all buddy-buddy lately, that drives me _crazy_. But the sex is fantastic and you're a good person, and you don't steal my wallet, so that's already a step up."

"Uh—"

"Okay, I shouldn't have said anything. But I bet you _liked_ me taking you against the wall, huh? Washingtub or Nick Fury ever do that?" He flexed his arms. "All about core strength, man."

Carolina reached for her clothes that were in a heap next to the bed. "I really can't handle talking about this right now," she replied, feeling like she was about to be sick.

"Okay. Sorry. We can just forget about it."

"That'd be great."

"That's fine." Church walked around the bed and grabbed her elbow lightly. "Hey, don't freak out and stop talking to me or anything, all right?"

"Yeah. Sure."

"I _mean_ it. I like having you around. You've gotten Caboose off my ass about every little thing and I don't want to go back to us fighting constantly. That was getting tiring."

"Okay." Carolina got dressed quickly, pulling her hair up into a messy ponytail, fastening it with a rubber band she found on Church's desk. "Uh, I'll call you later, okay?"

"Sure, whatever." He smiled at her and scratched his chin. "Seriously, this never happened."

"Great." She practically fled out of the room, slamming the front door shut behind her as Caboose called out a goodbye from the couch.

(b)

She stalked down the street, heading in whatever direction her feet decided to take her. She wasn't sure if she was heading home or just wandering, but she found herself walking towards the subway station that would take her home.

She pulled out her phone from her purse and saw that she'd missed a call from Wash. A pang of irritation hit her chest and she put the phone away, not wanting to deal with that right then.

_Why would Church fucking _say_ that? We were _fine_. We were just having fun, just messing around occasionally. I don't _want_ anything to get serious._

_But…he said he didn't either. That's not what he said, right? He just…wanted to mess around _more_, I guess. And I _would_ like to stop hearing about Allison and what a bitch she is. _

_It's only been three months. _She repeated that fact to herself a few times as she walked. She didn't have feelings for Church other than ones of friendship and an odd sense of fondness when he wasn't dating Allison. The two of them had broken up and gotten back together at least four times over the past few months but if he _was_ serious about ending it…

Carolina sighed, shaking her head. She reached for her phone again and dialed a number she knew by heart; she didn't even have to look at the screen.

"Hey, it's me. …oh right, caller ID. Duh. How are you? …no, I know it's been a while. Do you have time to talk? …Just walking home, but we can wait if you want. …Oh, yeah, I could do that. Okay, I'll call you tomorrow night. …Sounds good. Talk to you soon."

Hanging up, she tucked the phone back into her purse and walked a little more quickly towards the subway station, a small spring in her step.

* * *

**A/N: Don't hate me for keeping Church around! :3 Also, WOO awkward sex scene. Ugh, I HATE writing sex scenes (though I love READING them, haha).**

**Dear "ARE WE IN A CAR", who asked how I write dialogue: I do enjoy writing dialogue the most, and to be honest, it just flows naturally; I never plan anything out (and sometimes that shows...). I like to imagine the characters saying things in my head in their specific voices, so if something sounds totally OOC, I'll delete it and write something else. Sometimes I don't catch such mistakes, but I definitely try to. Often I write a scene and I immediately go back and reread it two or three times, listening to the voices in my head (haha) to make sure it flows. It's pretty fun. :)**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: Okay so honestly I updated again because I had a goal at the start of the year to write 250,000 words, and this chapter put me over that goal! FUCK YEAH WRITING**

* * *

**Part 58**

"Some days I don't even think this job is worth it."

"Oh, don't say that. You just started. A month isn't enough time to know whether you hate the job or not."

York shrugged, stirring creamer into his mug of steaming coffee. "I know it's not as easy as construction."

"See, that doesn't even make sense." His boss frowned at him, sipping from her own coffee mug. "Construction is hard, physical labor. This is just numbers."

"Yeah, but I didn't have to think very hard, just move stuff around. I haven't had to think about numbers like this since college."

"Maybe you shouldn't have taken so much time to find a job. Nearly eight years later?"

"Eh, six." York smiled.

An older man poked his head into the break room, gesturing at the woman. "Hey, Jill, corporate's downstairs, we better run."

"Shit. Barry, tell them I'm on the way." He nodded and ducked back into the hallway, leaving Jill to check her hair in the reflection of the microwave door. "Do I look okay?" she asked York.

"Very professional and boss-like."

"Good." She smacked him on the arm and smiled. "Cheer up! Oh, can you stay late tonight, by the way?"

He cringed. "I actually have an important…thing planned. Sorry."

"No problem, I'll make Carlos stay instead. Okay, have a good day!"

"You too!"

He watched Jill quickly leave the room, her three-inch black heels clicking along the tiled floor, fading as she went out of hearing range. His coffee was finally cool enough to drink and he sipped it, heading back to his office.

(b)

"Shit, shit, gonna be late, gonna get yelled at, running running running—"

York bounded up the steps of the apartment building, suit jacket in hand, having taken it off in the cab. He rang the buzzer and was let in, running up the stairs to get to the right floor. Finally he stopped in front of a door and knocked rapidly, catching his breath as it swung open.

"You're late."

Wash was staring daggers at him, struggling to hold onto Epsilon as he was trying to fight to get out of Wash's hands.

"Sorry…work…ran late…stupid cab…" York coughed. _Fuck, I need to work out more._

"I wrote down all the feeding instructions and put them on the fridge," Wash explained as York dragged himself to the couch to collapse. "I'll give you my spare key in a second, and other than that, just try not to let him destroy the place. You should play with him at least once a day, more if possible."

"You're more protective of him than a _kid_," York muttered. Wash narrowed his eyes.

"Shut up."

"I thought your conference was _next _week."

"Yeah, sorry about the last second notice, I had the date wrong."

"Fucker."

"Whatever. Okay, here's the key." He handed York a silver key dangling from a small yellow kitten-shaped keychain. "Make sure you lock up behind you, and be careful if you come by at night. I still don't really trust this neighborhood."

"Why can't I just keep him at _my_ place?"

"Do you really think I want Maine anywhere _near_ my baby?" Wash shook his head. "_Fuck_ no."

"Fine, whatever. When's your flight?"

"Early tomorrow, so I'll be heading out at like, four in the morning."

"_Ugh_, have fun with that."

"How's the job treating you?" Wash sat down on the other end of the couch, petting Epsilon as he slunk by.

York half-shrugged. "It's okay."

"I'm still surprised you got hired on your first interview."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, it's just good luck, I guess." Wash smiled. "Good to see you actually putting your degree to use."

"Yeah, it's good. Pays better than construction work and I don't have as much risk anymore, I suppose." Unconsciously he reached down to pat the leg that had been broken. "And the job's easy, I just keep the books in order for the business, and considering it's not a very large business, it's pretty simple. Keeps me busy at least."

"Have you told Carolina about it yet?"

"That would require us actually _talking_, which we haven't done since…" York thought back, ticking off time on his fingers. "Three months ago, give or take."

"You haven't talked for _three months_?" Wash cried.

"Give or take."

"God_damn_, you moron. _Call_ her."

"Eh. I think she's enjoying her time to herself right now. Besides, I'm tired of making the big, grand gestures. I can wait for her. Fuck, I can wait _forever_ if that's what she needs."

"Did you tell her that?"

"Again, with the no talking," York said.

"Right."

"Well, I'll get out of your way." He stood up and nearly tripped over Epsilon, who had been crouched by his feet, purring happily, though he let out an angry growl when he moved. "You'll be back Sunday?"

"Yeah, late."

"Okay. Have a good trip."

"Thanks."

York hesitated, debating between awkwardly shaking Wash's hand and giving him an awkward bro hug. Finally he just headed for the door, waving back at Wash, who was still sitting on the couch. He opened the door and left, hearing Epsilon mewing behind the door as he closed it.

(b)

Carolina opened her laptop and booted it up, watching the screen go from black to her familiar background of the Pacific Ocean. It always made her homesick, but helped her feel better anyway. She clicked on the Skype application and watched it load, logging in to see if he was online yet.

The familiar icon blinked to life as he logged in on his end, and before she had a chance to dial he was already calling her. She grinned as she accepted the call and waited for his face to come on screen.

"Hi!" she greeted, waving.

Maine was smiling back at her, and she could see the side of a beer bottle at the edge of her screen. "Great to see your face," he replied, leaning forward in his chair so that he was more in view.

"Oh my god is that Lina? I wanna say hi!" North popped into view on screen and she leaned back, slightly startled. "Lina! Hi!"

"Hey, North! How are you?"

"I'm great! Things are good at work, and we're busy planning the wedding, and—oh, I wanted to ask you, will you be in the ceremony? We're not doing a whole wedding party or anything, but I want you to be the witness!"

"Of course! I'm so honored you asked." She could feel herself blushing as Maine pushed him out of the screen view, growling.

"This is _my_ time with Lina," he threatened, and she could hear North protesting as Maine stood up to push North out of the room. He sat back down a moment later and sighed. "Sorry about that."

"Heh, it's okay, really. So how have you been?"

"Lina, come on." Maine put on his serious face and propped his chin up on his hands. "Get to it. Why did you call me?"

"I _missed_ you, you idiot."

"Why did you call me?" he repeated, arching an eyebrow.

She shrugged, looking at the corner of her screen. "I…I needed someone to talk to about something. But you can't tell anyone else, not even North."

"I won't."

She knew he wouldn't; it made her better to hear him say it, though. "For the past few months, I've sort of been…well, I don't know, I wouldn't call it _dating_, really, but I've been hanging out with this guy."

"Mmhmm." Maine picked up his beer and took a swig, setting it back down out of view.

"His name is Church. Well, Leonard, but he goes by Church."

"Go on."

"We've been sleeping together on and off, and I know it's a terrible idea because he has this really messed up relationship with his ex-girlfriend, they're always breaking up and getting back together but she's a bitch and he asked me to be more exclusive yesterday, and I don't want to stop seeing him because his brother is really sweet and—"

Maine waved at the screen, and she stopped talking, frowning. "_Please_ slow down," he said. "I don't understand what the _hell_ you're talking about. Start at the beginning."

She started with how she'd met Church at the bar the night before everyone left, and the real reason why she'd missed them at the airport. Quietly, she told him how Church had lectured her on letting go of her guilt that night, and how they'd been spending the last few months together, mostly as friends but admitting that they slept together pretty often, though never when he was with Allison.

"So he wants to be exclusive?" Maine asked, his forehead wrinkled in thought.

"Well, that's not _exactly_ what he said. He just implied that…I don't know, he wants to sleep together more often. Or something."

"That's…interesting."

"That's all you have to say?"

"I don't know what you want to _hear_, Carolina." Maine shrugged. "Do you like this guy?"

"Uh…kind of, I guess. I mean, he's been really great to spend time with, because he helps me forget about everything going on with Wash and York."

"And have you talked to either of them about this Church guy?"

"No." She glanced down at the keyboard.

"Do you have _feelings_ for Church?"

"I appreciate him as a friend, and…well, he _is_ really great in bed." Her cheeks were now burning. "But I don't _love_ him, or really think we would stay together in the long run."

"Do you still care about either Wash or York?"

"I actually…" She bit her lip. "I told York I love him. A few months ago. And he didn't really seem to care, so…I don't know what to do. Because I still do, and…I think I may have blown it completely."

"He still cares."

"How do you know?"

Maine smiled knowingly. "I just know."

"Stop being cryptic!"

"Sorry, it's too much fun."

She rolled her eyes. "Maybe I should talk to North about this stuff instead."

"Really? You trust _North_ to keep a _secret_?"

"Good point."

"And besides, now that I know, if you tell anyone else it won't be a secret anymore."

"Dammit, Maine, I hate you."

"I know." His eyes were twinkling with laughter, but his face remained stoic, as usual.

"Are you mad at me for sleeping with Church?"

He frowned. "Carolina, why on _Earth_ would I be mad at you?"

Carolina shrugged. "Because it was a stupid thing to do, and I know it's not a healthy relationship, and it's not going anywhere, and—"

"Are you happy right now?"

"Uh…yeah, for the most part."

"Does Church make you happy?"

"Usually, yes."

"You still love York?"

"Yes."

Maine smiled. "Do you want to be _with_ York?"

The room grew nearly silent; she could hear her laptop humming quietly. "I don't know if I _can_ be right now," she finally whispered, barely loud enough for the program to pick up.

"Why not?"

"Because…I'm sort of with Church, whatever we are, anyway. And York…it feels like he's given up _trying_. And he still has a lot of growing up to do—though I realize how dumb that sounds, coming from _me_ right now…"

"Maybe you're just not at a point in your life where you're ready for him. Maybe you _need_ some instability with Church to make you see what you want."

"I don't know…"

"I seem to recall _York_ usually making the grand gestures. Am I right?"

Carolina frowned. "I…guess so. Yeah. Yeah, he usually did. Why?"

"Maybe he's just waiting for _you_."

"Waiting…for _me_?"

Maine rolled his eyes. "You two—you're certainly meant for each other," he said with a chuckle.

"What do you mean?"

"You're both just _so_ stubborn."

(b)

"Did you make Carolina mad at you?"

"Shut up."

"Is she going to come back over?"

"Shut. _Up_."

"She promised she'd play Halo with me and Tucker."

"_Caboose_! Just—just _shut up_! _God_! _Shut the fuck up_!"

Caboose pouted over his pancakes. "You're being mean."

"I'm _always_ mean," Church sighed, sipping his coffee.

"You're being _extra_ mean. Why did you and Carolina fight the other day?"

"I don't _know_, and I'd appreciate if you'd drop it."

"Drop what? I'm not holding anything." Caboose looked at the fork in his hand. "Oh." He dropped his fork onto the plate, causing Church to jump and nearly spill his coffee.

"Why'd you do _that_, you moron?"

"You told me to drop it?"

"_Jesus_." He set down his coffee cup and brought both hands up to his temples, rubbing roughly. He'd had _way_ too much to drink the night before. "I swear, I think Mom dropped you on your head too many times as a kid."

"Don't say mean things about Mom," Caboose lectured.

"Shut up."

"If you're not going to call Carolina, can I?"

"Why would _you_ call her?"

"To invite her over to play games!"

"Why would she do that?"

"Because she's not mad at _me_, just _you._"

He couldn't argue with that logic. "Can you wait a couple days to call her? I'd prefer to give her time to not be angry anymore."

"Okay! Will you play with us too?"

"_No_."

"Even if Tucker doesn't?"

"...We'll see."

(b)

Caboose ended up having to wait a week until Carolina came back over. Church had finally called her and invited her over for dinner, and she'd agreed to bring over a couple of pizzas to make amends. By the time she got there, the door already unlocked for her to let herself in, Church and Caboose were locked in a death match against each other, both of them yelling at the TV.

"Church, stop _picking_ on me!"

"I'm _supposed to_!"

"Well, _stop_ it!"

"Boom, headshot!"

"_Chuuuurch_—"

"Hey guys," Carolina greeted, setting the pizzas on the kitchen counter. Caboose nearly dropped his controller as he waved at her, standing up to shove past Church so he could run over and give her a hug. She laughed as he picked her up off the ground, squeezing her tightly.

"I missed you!"

"Aw, I missed you too," she replied, ruffling his hair. "Come on, I'm starving, let's eat."

"Okay!" Caboose started rummaging for paper plates in a cabinet as Church paused the game, setting down his controller. He came over to her and lightly tapped her ass with his hand.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hey yourself," she replied, nudging him with her elbow. He grinned and leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"Missed you around here. Caboose has been driving me _insane_ bugging me to call you. Apparently you promised to play video games with him."

"Oh. I forgot about that." She looked at Caboose, who was happily munching on a slice of pizza, crust first. "I promise we'll play games later, okay?"

"Okay! I'll tell Tucker." He loaded up a paper plate with two more slices of pizza, keeping the one dangling in his mouth, and went over to the couch, setting the plate on the table.

Church grabbed a slice and bit into the tip of it, chewing slowly. "You okay?" he asked after he swallowed.

Carolina nodded, picking up her own slice. "Yeah. Just been doing some thinking."

"About what?"

"I'll talk to you about it later, okay? Let's have some dinner and cheer up Caboose."

"Tucker! Tucker, Carolina is going to play with us later!" Caboose already had Skype up and running and had woken up Tucker, who had apparently been napping at nearly seven in the evening.

"Jesus Christ, Caboose, you could have just _texted _me," he complained.

"But you said you wanted to know if the hot lady came back!"

Carolina started to go over to yell at the laptop, but Church put a hand on her shoulder, holding her back. He shook his head as she glared back at him, listening to Tucker yawn loudly across the room.

"Good, you _did_, so let me go back to _sleep_."

"It's dinner time! Nap time was earlier, you should be awake."

"Well, I'm _not_. I was up all night beating some kid's ass at Call of Duty so I'm fucking tired. Call me when the hot girl wants to play games. Or if she starts playing with _herself_, bow chicka bow wow." Tucker ended the Skype call as Caboose logged into his Halo game, starting a new solo mission.

"I'm guessing you don't want to talk after listening to _that_ idiot," Church observed. Carolina just sighed.

(b)

"Okay, time for bed!" Church announced, shutting off the TV. Caboose was half-asleep with his head in Carolina's lap, a blanket pulled over him. Church was sitting on her other side, his arm around her shoulders. They'd just finished the first three episodes of a new zombie show and Caboose had complained about being sleepy near the end of the second one, moving closer to Carolina throughout the course of the third episode.

"But I'm not tired," Caboose complained, rubbing his eyes. "And I'm comfortable."

Carolina smiled. "Do you want to watch another episode?"

"No…it was kind of scary."

"Are you going to be able to sleep?"

"I think so. Church, are zombies real?"

"Only the good ones."

"There are _good_ zombies?" Caboose's eyes went wide at the thought.

"Yeah, the vegetarian ones. Though they tend to die pretty quickly." Church resisted the urge to laugh as Carolina smacked his leg.

"Aw, that's sad. Do you think _I'll_ ever get to meet a zombie?"

"Maybe if you're good, Santa will bring you one this year."

"Don't be silly, Santa isn't _real_." Caboose rolled his eyes. "I know _you're_ the one that puts presents under the tree at Christmas. Mom and Dad, too."

"Okay, you caught me. Now go to bed."

"I'm not a kid," Caboose muttered, standing up. He folded the blanket and set it on the couch, smiling at Carolina. "Good night!"

"Good night, Caboose." She smiled back and he scowled at Church, who stuck his tongue out at him. He went into his room, leaving the two of them on the couch, his arm still around her shoulders.

"So…how have you been the past week?" Church asked, shifting a little so he could see her better. He dropped his arm from her shoulders and started rubbing her thigh.

She shrugged. "It was okay."

"You wanna talk about anything?"

"Did you break up with Allison?"

He went silent for a moment, slightly caught off-guard. "Wow. Uh, yeah, as a matter of fact, I did. I just wasn't expecting you to ask so bluntly."

Carolina moved a hand to cover his on her leg. "How did she take it?"

"Same as usual. Lots of fighting, yelling, and throwing things—tried to get me to have sex with her, of course. I was somehow able to resist her though. Then I came home and drank myself under the table."

"You could have called me."

"And what, bitched to you about my relationship like a _girl_?" Church shook his head. "No thank you. Besides, I already felt stupid enough for saying what I did to you last week."

"Ah."

"Are you still mad, by the way?"

She shook her head. "I wasn't _mad_ exactly, just…surprised and confused."

"Yeah, that's what I figured. Well, like I said, we can drop it completely. Forget I said anything."

"No, Church, that's not—that's okay. I'm glad you found a reason to end things with Allison. She really wasn't good for you, and if I'm the reason you figured that out, then I'm glad."

Church nodded. "I don't know if you were the _sole_ reason, but you definitely gave me some perspective. Besides, Caboose actually helped too."

"Really?"

"You don't have to play dumb; it doesn't suit you." He shrugged. "He told me he'd been looking out for me all these years, that he'd been trying to break us up because he wanted me to be happy. Guess I owe him an apology for yelling at him so much about interfering. Fucking idiot knew what I needed more than _I_ did."

"I'm sure he knows that you love him."

"_Love_?" Church snorted. "I still _hate_ the kid. Maybe a little less now, but there's no _love_. He's still a giant pain in my ass."

"Then why do you live together? Why doesn't he live with Tucker, or your parents?"

"Because I'm the only one that can stand him." Church was quiet for a moment, thinking. "I guess he's not _that_ bad. Just really fucking annoying most of the time, with his constant questions and fucking stupid thoughts."

Carolina laughed lightly. "You're lucky to have him."

"Hey, when did this turn into a goddamned slumber party?" Church exclaimed. "I don't want to sit around sharing feelings and shit!"

"_You're_ the one who wanted to talk!"

"Oh. Right. Well, I'm over that. Can we have sex instead?"

Carolina wrinkled her nose. "What if _I_ still wanted to talk?"

He sighed heavily. "_Do_ you?"

"Just about one more thing, yeah."

"_Fine_." Church got up and pulled his shirt off, dropping it to the floor. He unbuttoned his shorts and sat down on the couch again, leaning back against the armrest, showing off his chest. "I'm going to be comfortable if I have to listen to more feelings, though."

"That's fine. I just wanted to say that I think we _should_ be more exclusive. But not, like, completely _serious_, or anything," she added quickly. "We can just keep…fooling around, I guess is what I'm saying."

"For real?" Church frowned. "_Wait_. Is this one of those mind games or tricks where I'm going to end up married in two months because you're baby crazy?"

Carolina rolled her eyes. "_No_. And _fuck_ you, by the way."

"What?!"

"Just listen." She took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes, seeing that he really _was_ paying full attention to her, instead of fidgeting or eating or otherwise being partially distracted. "I still love York. I _know_ that. But I don't think I'm ready to go back to him yet, and I don't know if _he's _ready yet either. That's a conversation I'm going to have to have with him someday, and when I'm ready to do that, I'll tell you. But for right now, I like what you and I have. Just simple and easy."

"That's what _she _said, bow chicka bow—"

"_Don't_."

Church grinned. "Couldn't resist."

"Yeah, you could have."

"True. But I didn't _want_ to." He leaned forward and pressed a hand to her waist, tilting his head to kiss her passionately, pushing her down against the other half of the couch. They continued kissing as she reached down to push his shorts out of the way, laughing as he struggled to get her shirt up and over her head.

"We should move this into the bedroom," Church murmured, nibbling her earlobe.

"Good plan."

He stood up quickly and let his shorts drop from his hips to the floor, stepping out of them as he reached down to help her to her feet. In one swift movement she was suddenly off the floor and in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist, digging her nails into his back as he walked them back towards his bedroom, locked in a kiss. He let out a moan between her lips and used her back to push open the door, not bothering with the light.

Church set her down on the bed and roughly pushed up against her, kneeling on the bed between her legs, his hands massaging her thighs as they continued kissing, growing more intense with each one. Carolina grabbed his shoulders and pushed him down, and he laughed, licking a stripe across her clavicle.

"Church?"

His head snapped up and she sat up slightly, seeing a shadow standing in the doorway. "Are you _fucking kidding me_," Church grunted, standing up as he grabbed a pillow, shoving it in front of his waist. "What do you _want_, Caboose?"

"I had a bad dream about zombies," Caboose said sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "Can I sleep in here with you?"

"No, because Carolina is staying over."

"We can all fit in your bed, right?" Caboose took a few steps into the room and Carolina scrambled on the bed, hurrying to hide under the comforter. Luckily she was still clothed. She couldn't say the same for Church, who was fidgeting uncomfortably behind the pillow.

"_No_, Caboose. Give me a minute and I'll tuck you into your own bed, okay?"

"Please? My room might have zombies in it."

"I'll check the closet."

"Can I wait here?"

She could see Church literally shaking with rage, but to his credit, he only nodded. "Wait here and I'll go check for the fucking zombies," he said bitterly, pushing past Caboose in the doorway. He was only gone for a few seconds when Caboose quickly crossed the carpet and climbed into Church's bed, snuggling next to Carolina.

"It's safe in here," he mumbled, closing his eyes. Carolina started to protest but he was already asleep, snoring lightly as Church came back into the room, still holding the pillow in front of himself.

"Okay, Caboose, there's no—what the _fuck_." He took in the sight of Caboose snuggled under the blankets and Carolina sitting next to him, hugging her knees.

"He's already asleep," she said quietly.

"Dear fucking god," Church growled. "Come on, let's wake his ass up—"

"Just let him sleep," Carolina scolded. "I can sleep on the couch."

"_Fuck_ that, let's go have sex there instead."

"We've tried that, remember? The couch is terribly uncomfortable."

Church ran a hand through his hair, sighing heavily. "_Fine._ Scoot over, I'll sleep in the middle."

Carolina climbed out of the bed and took off her jeans, grabbing a pair of clean boxers from Church's dresser to wear as a nightgown, keeping her shirt on. She watched Church get into bed and scoot over to the middle, getting in after him, keeping more to the edge. He reached out and pulled her closer, snuggling against her back, winding their legs together.

"I'm not even tired."

"Go to sleep."

"Are you _sure_ we can't go have sex on the couch?"

"Go to _sleep_, Church."

"Bitch."

"Fucktard."

"Good night," he whispered, kissing her back lightly.

"Good night."


	34. Chapter 34

**Part 59**

"Do you even _do_ anything?"

"Mrowr?"

"I hate you."

Epsilon rubbed up against York's arm that was dangling off the couch. He'd been lying on his stomach for half an hour, waiting for the world to stop spinning. Wash had been hiding a fantastic collection of alcohol in an upper cabinet in his kitchen, and York had decided to liberate some of it.

It was just what a good friend would do, after all. And York was a _great_ friend.

"Hey, cat, can you make the table stop moving?"

"Mew."

"Yeah, didn't think so." He swatted Epsilon away and received a scratch in return. York made a muffled noise into the pillow he was lying on but made no effort to move beyond that.

Saturday night, and he was cat-sitting for the guy who stole his girlfriend. Fuckin' fantastic.

_Well…I guess that's not _strictly_ true._ York struggled to sit up, staring at the wall. _I sort of let her go anyway, it's not like she cheated on me or something._

His phone beeped with a text message and he groped towards it, finally picking it up off the table on the fourth attempt.

_Wash (9:43pm): Is my baby okay? :3_

_York (9:45pm): Oh my gohd hes fne go away;_

_Wash (9:48pm): Wow, are you drunk?_

_York (9:48pm): Noe_

_Wash (9:49pm): Shit you found the cabinet didn't you_

_York (9:52pm): Yuppp_

York grinned and tossed his phone on the couch, lying back down. After a moment he sat back up and grabbed the TV remote.

If he was stuck hanging out at Wash's place, then he was going to watch porn on his TV.

(b)

"No, Allie! _No_! You…you _have_ to remember him!"

York clutched the blanket over his lap, the box of tissues mostly empty to his side. In his attempt to find a porn channel in Wash's extensive array of channels to choose from, he'd come across 'The Notebook' and had gotten sucked in.

As the credits rolled a short time later, York blew his nose into a wad of tissues, still sobbing. "_Fuck_ you, Ryan Gosling," he cursed at the TV, turning it off with the remote before he threw the remote to the floor. "_I'll_ never get slow dance with no music with Rachel McAdams."

His phone rang and he grabbed for it, slightly more sober from all the crying. "Hello?" he blubbered.

"Dude, what the fuck—are you _crying_?"

"Fuck _you, _I was just…never mind. What do you want?"

He heard North sigh on the other end of the line. "Just having a rough night, was hoping we could go out for a drink. Where are you? I already tried knocking on your door."

"I'm way ahead of you, and I'm way too drunk to leave. I'm at Wash's cat sitting."

"Fine, I'll come over there. Give me half an hour."

"Whatever, I'm not going anywhere." He hung up and collapsed back onto the couch, staring at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and tried to relax, thinking about Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.

(b)

"York? York, open the damn door!"

He opened his eyes and sat up, getting a rush of blood to his head a second later, and he gagged as though he was about to throw up. Swallowing it down, he stumbled off of the couch and made it over to the door where North was pounding on it, the knocking echoing all around the small apartment, giving him an even bigger migraine.

"Shut _up_, I'm _coming_," he called out, fumbling with the lock. Finally he got it open and the door swung open to reveal North leaning against the door frame, looking grumpier than he'd ever seen.

"_Finally_."

"Dude, what's _your_ problem?" York grumbled as North pushed past him, sitting down on the floor in the middle of the living room.

"Maine yelled at me," he muttered, picking at the carpet.

"Oh." York ducked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of whiskey, bringing it over to North. He handed it over and North opened it, tossing the bottle cap away as he took a swig.

"Fighting over wedding shit," he complained, taking another drink as York sat down in front of him, reaching for the bottle. He gave it back and York took a drink, coughing a little after he swallowed.

"What now?"

"He doesn't want a ceremony."

"What?! Why not?"

North shrugged, picking at the carpet. "He said I'm getting too wrapped up in the planning, and he wanted it to stay simple."

"Ugh, that's no fun. You gotta go all _out_, man! Streamers and balloons and shit!"

North laughed, grabbing the bottle back. "Have you ever _been_ to a wedding?"

"Well, no, but it's just like a giant party, right?"

"Yeah, not exactly. Think less balloons and streamers and more place settings and flower arrangements."

"Oh. No thanks." He watched North tip the bottle back to drink more. "What happened?"

"I just asked him to look at some flower arrangements and he totally _freaked out_ and said he didn't want a big ceremony and said I was taking it too far."

"And that's all?"

North's cheeks quickly turned pink. "Uh…maybe I sort of put a deposit down on a reception hall. _But_ it was going to be booked the weekend we wanted, and I didn't want someone_ else_ to get it first!"

"And you didn't tell him." York chuckled. "Man, do I know how _that_ fallout goes."

"I don't know what to do." North started passing the bottle between his hands. "We had a big fight and he said if I was going to keep planning everything and not let him help that maybe we just wouldn't even _get_ married and I might have thrown a pillow at him and he didn't care for that and sort of left and didn't come back and he won't answer my calls and I don't know where he went."

York was still drunk enough that a lot of the previous sentence didn't make much sense, and he rocked back on his heels. "Huh. I'm sure it'll be okay."

"I don't know. We've been fighting a lot lately."

"Are you having sex? Because if you don't have sex sometimes that makes you fight more. I speak from experience, my friend." York grinned and stood up, heading for the kitchen.

"We're having _plenty_ of sex," North replied. "Well, not in the past month or so because we've both been really busy, but we still make out."

"Okay, I don't need all the details," York called out. "It was just a question. Rum or vodka?"

"Both."

"I love you, man." York set a shot glass upside down over the top of each bottle and grabbed both, coming back into the living room to set them on the floor in front of North as he settled back down, crossing his legs underneath him. "I say we do a drinking game. How about…I've Never, but instead of counting, we'll take shots." He set down the shot glasses as North pulled off the lid to the rum, filling each one halfway.

"You first. I hate starting games."

"Uh." York thought for a moment. "I've never…driven an automatic car."

"Pfft, weak sauce." North picked up one of the glasses and tilted it into his mouth, swallowing it quickly. York refilled it with more rum as North grinned. "I've never broken a bone."

"Aw, fuck you." York took a shot and refilled it with vodka. "Okay. I've never been to the ballet." They stared at each other for a second and York frowned. "What, _really_? Never?"

"Just because I'm _gay_ you just _assume_ I've been to the ballet? That's…that's gaycist."

"What the fuck is _gaycist_?"

"Gay racist. I heard it on a show." North frowned. "Come on, _seriously_?"

"Okay, _your_ turn then."

"I've never slept through a midterm because I was hung over."

York laughed. "Ohh, so we're going _back_ a ways, I see how it is." He took the shot of vodka and held it out, with North at the ready to refill it. "This is gonna get ugly."

"I hope so," North chuckled.

(b)

"I—I haven't—no wait, I never, uh, I never had sex with a girl while she was on her period," North slurred, pushing one of the glasses towards York, who made an indignant noise.

"I didn't _know_, she fuckin' _lied_ to me about it and it was too late to stop!" he protested, taking the shot of whiskey. They'd run out of the vodka and rum pretty quickly and were down to the last of the whiskey and half a bottle of gin that they'd been mixing with fruit punch Wash had squirreled away in the back of the fridge. "Okay, okay, fine, uh…I've never…oh, wait, okay, I got one. I've never made out with a guy in the backseat of a pickup truck up in the mountains!"

North started laughing and fell over, nearly spilling the rest of the whiskey. "Oh, _fuck_, I'd forgotten about that guy! _Jesus,_ he was so hot!"

"And so _closeted_, he wouldn't even…what's the thing where—oh, yeah, _hold_ your _hand_ if anyone was around!"

North was laughing so hard he started coughing and York set down the bottle of gin, reaching out to pat his shoulder. "I'm fine," he coughed out, his cheeks flushed.

"Let it out, dude. Bathroom's over there."

"Fuck you, it's my turn." He wiped his mouth with his hand and closed his eyes for a second, wavering slightly. "Whoa, everything is spinning."

"Take a deep breath," York advised. He watched North follow his instructions and opened his eyes a moment later, glancing back down at the empty shot glasses. "Okay. I've never…fuck, we're running out of good ones. Uh—"

"It's _my_ turn!" North interrupted.

"Oh. Right. Continue."

"I've never asked anyone to marry me," he giggled, and York rolled his eyes, reaching for one of the glasses. North filled it with whiskey and he took the shot, letting out a small gasp as the liquid burned against the back of his throat.

"Low blow," York warned.

"Still true though."

"_Fuck_. Okay. I've never given a dude a blowjob."

North snorted and poured a healthy amount of gin into a shot glass, mixing in a dash of fruit juice. "How long you have _that_ one cocked and ready?" he asked before he drank the shot, laughing as York fell into a coughing fit from his phrasing.

"A while," he admitted with a weak laugh. "Shit, I think I'm _done_."

"No, no, come on!" North urged, tipping the last of the whiskey into one of the glasses. "Come _on_, this is fun!"

"It's losing its charm," York argued, shaking his head.

"Aw, _one_ more." York shrugged and North took it as an agreement. "I've never had a crush on one of my friends."

York reached for the glass of whiskey and watched as North poured himself a helping of straight gin. "What are you doing?"

"I lied." North picked up the glass and drank it quickly, setting it on the floor as York drank the whiskey, his head definitely spinning. He'd already been tipsy when they started, but North had quickly caught up and they were both well on their way to ugly hangovers.

"Why'd you do that?" York asked, confused.

"I dunno." North looked embarrassed and focused on the empty glasses in front of them.

"Who?"

"Who what?"

"Who what where when—"

"Dude, you're _wasted_," North giggled, reaching out to smack his knee.

"Wait, I was trying to—oh, yeah, who had a crush on you?" York frowned. "No, wait…no, who did _you_ have a crush _on_? Yeah, that's right."

"You're an idiot."

"Answer the questions!"

"Which one?" _Fuck_, he was being avoidant and York _hated_ that. Especially since _he'd _brought it up in the first place.

"Uh…the right one."

North shrugged, starting to stand up. He made it halfway to his feet before falling backwards, landing on his ass, laughing hysterically. York started laughing and tried to help him up, but his legs had fallen asleep and he fell onto the floor beside North, trying to focus on not throwing up from laughing so much.

"Don't worry about it," North wheezed, rolling over onto his back.

"Fuckin' shit, North, you can't just _say_ something like that and not _tell _me. Come on, is it—oh, oh, is it _Wash_?"

North wrinkled his nose, turning onto his side to glare at York. "Dude, I've known Wash since I was like, five. Or seven. I don't know. But I've seen him take a shit off a bridge when he was _super_ drunk, so safe to say I don't—"

"_Dude_!" York shrieked, covering his ears with his hands. "Gross_, gross, fuck_—"

"You know why Maine hated you before?"

He almost missed what North had said; he was quieter now, and York's ears were still partially covered. He moved his hands away and frowned. "Before? He _still _hates me."

"He doesn't hate you anymore," North said, shaking his head.

"Sure _acts_ like it…"

"He thought you and I were seeing each other secretly."

York burst out laughing. "Shit, _seriously_? That's _horrifying_. Can you imagine—" He fell silent nearly immediately as his brain drunkenly fit together the pieces. "Oh. Wait. _Shit_."

"Forget it." North tried to dismiss the subject, waving his hand. "You know I get weird when I drink too much."

"Wait." York propped himself up on an elbow and stared down at North. "Since when?"

He shrugged, still lying on his back. "Like, sophomore year."

"_Fuck_."

"Not anymore!" North protested. "Just for…maybe a year or two. Or something. I don't know. It was forever ago."

"Then why bring it up _now_?"

North shrugged again. "Because I'm drunk."

"Doesn't explain it."

"_Fine_. Because—well, because, do I _want_ to marry Maine and never kiss another guy?"

"Dude, what the _fuck_ are you _talking_ about."

North sat up suddenly, nearly knocking York over. "What if Maine meets someone else and wants to kiss _him_? What if _I_ meet someone else? You just don't _know_, you know? Like Lina and Steeple, I just don't _know_ and it freaks me _out_!"

"_Steeple_?" He'd officially lost York.

"Chapel? Church?"

"What are you _talking _about?"

"I don't know anymore." North reached for the bottle of whiskey and tipped it back, realizing a second later that it was empty. "Shit, we're out."

"Yeah, you don't need anymore."

"Fuck _you_."

"Maybe back in _college_, sure," York retorted. North cringed. "See, this is why I don't let you drink often, you get _really_ personal."

"Yeah, sorry."

"Hang on." York got to his feet and stumbled over to the kitchen, opening various cabinets until he found one that had some mugs in it. He grabbed two and filled them with water from the sink, carrying them over to the table. "Drink," he ordered, pointing at them. North scowled and got to his feet, swaying slightly.

"I don't want to."

"Do it."

"_No_." North folded his arms over his chest, shaking his head. "I _like_ being drunk. I haven't thought about Maine all night."

York rolled his eyes. "You're gonna be fine. Just call him and leave a drunk message and make up tomorrow. It's pretty simple. Now drink the water."

North made a noise of protest low in his throat as he slowly made his way to the table, taking forever since he nearly fell over just standing up. He grabbed one of the mugs and drained it quickly, swallowing the water in large gulps. He set the mug down and sighed, staring at York, who'd been sipping from the other mug.

"Sorry I said all that."

"Nah, s'cool. Really. That was forever ago."

"Yeah…forever ago," North echoed quietly. He was silent for a moment and then yawned widely. "Where'm I sleeping?"

"You can take Wash's bed, I'll take the couch," York offered, setting his mug down on the table.

"Okay. Thanks."

"Night, North." York clapped a hand on his shoulder, pulling him in for a hug. North sank into him, holding him tightly, trembling slightly.

"Is Maine gonna forgive me?"

"Of _course_ he will. Or I'll fuckin' punch him in the _face_." York grimaced slightly. "Or, y'know, he's pretty big, so…maybe in the arm _instead_…or just _not_ punch him…"

"Yeah, I wouldn't punch him, that would just get _you _hurt." North laughed and York rubbed his back, pulling away a little.

"You going to be okay?"

North nodded. "I'll be fine. Not looking forward to the hangover…"

York chuckled. "Drink more water before you crash."

"I will." North gave him another squeeze and let go, starting towards the bedroom. York watched him stumble away and close the door to the bathroom behind him. A thought crossed his mind and he considered it for a moment.

He crossed over to Wash's CD collection, flipping through the impressive amount of discs still in pristine cases. _Of _course_ Wash keeps these in order by year of release_, he thought to himself, looking for a particular CD. Finally he found it and slid it out, popping the disc out of the case before dropping the case on the floor. He slipped it into the Xbox and cued up the song he'd been thinking of, smiling to himself as the melodic tunes of Maroon 5 drifted out of the television speakers.

North appeared a couple of minutes later and found York swaying back and forth next to the TV, a stupid grin on his face as he listened to the music. He raised an eyebrow and coughed, getting York's attention.

"What the fuck is this? Maroon 5? _Seriously_? What, are we back in 2006?"

"2004," York corrected. "Sophomore year. Remember how big these guys were back then? I remember you blasting this song all the time."

"Not really appreciating the joke," North frowned, finding himself tapping along to the beat with his hand against his arm.

"Come here." York came over and grabbed North's other hand, pulling him close but leaving a few inches of room between them, placing his hands on North's waist. "Shoulders," he instructed, and North put his hands on York's shoulders, completing the picture of a seventh-grade awkward school dance. York began to sway to the music, still grinning like an idiot.

"What exactly are we _doing_?" North asked, the drunken haze settled firmly in his head.

"Taking you back to sophomore year," York replied with a shrug. "Since…well, I guess you would have liked to do this back then?"

North flinched. "Uh, yeah, but…this is just awkward _now_, you idiot."

"Oh. Fine." York dropped his arms and started to move away, but North shook his head.

"No, you—ugh, I have to do _everything_," he complained, moving his hands down to wrap around York's waist, pulling him close. North was just slightly shorter than York and gently rest his head on his chest, smiling as York awkwardly put his hands around North's back. "See, that's better. More high school, less junior high."

York laughed and pat his back. "Sorry."

"Nah, I appreciate it. This is…nice."

They swayed back and forth for a few minutes, either from the music or from too much drinking, York wasn't sure which. Whatever the reason, it was comforting. Finally North raised his head with a chuckle, backing away a few inches.

"I should go to bed, it's late."

"Call Maine first."

"It's _late_."

"You know he'll be mad if you don't."

North looked down at the ground. "I know."

"Good night, North."

"Night, York. And…thanks. For everything."

York waved his hand in the air. "Don't even worry about it. Seriously. Was it everything you wanted and more?"

North laughed and nodded. "Just about."

"Good. Get some sleep."

"Will do." North hugged him a final time and headed off to bed, leaving York standing in the living room, listening to Maroon 5 as he wondered what Carolina was doing.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, I ship it. (Just not necessarily in THIS story...haha.) Also, shamelessly stole 'gaycist' from Happy Endings.**


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: So, I moved this past weekend, and we have no internet until Thursday. I'm going to be too busy at home to get any writing done till probably Wednesday night or maybe Thursday, and I don't know how much I'll get written at work because it's been busy. So this is up to current again, and sorry for the wait, but there will be more by this weekend, I promise!**

**In other news, MOVING SUCKS. UGH. And we only moved a couple blocks, but jeez. Too tired to write anyway for a couple days. :P**

**Also: Do you love RvB? (duh) Do you know what Happy Endings is? (only the best show ever) Then go to my other Tumblr I run and look at funny pictures! ( (three w's).tumblr (dot com) (slash) blog (slash) happyrvb ) Wow, trying to link anything on here is ridiculous.**

* * *

**Part 60**

York rolled over in bed the next morning and hit something warm. He instinctively snuggled up to it and draped his arm over it, sighing lightly.

"Morning, lovely."

His eyes shot open and saw North's face inches from his own, grinning like an idiot. "Gah!"

"Aw, that's not a nice way to wake up," North pouted.

York scooted away and lifted the sheet, seeing that they were both still in their boxers. "Dude, what the _hell_?"

"Dude, _you're_ the one who snuck into bed with _me_," North said, laughing as he propped himself up on an elbow. "Nothing happened, don't worry. How's the hangover?"

As he said the word, York's head began to pound with the force of a college drum line. "_Fuck_."

"_There_ it is."

"_Jesus_, don't let me drink that much again."

"Yeah, because _that's_ probable."

"How come _you_ don't have a hangover?" York asked with a frown.

North shrugged. "I threw up somewhere around four a.m., so that probably helped."

"_Lovely_."

"Yup. Want to get breakfast?"

"What the fuck _time_ is it?"

"I dunno, eight?" North craned his neck back to check the clock on the nightstand. "Yeah, eight fifteen. Come on, go shower and we'll get some food."

"Fuck off."

"Fine, _I'll_ shower first. Think Wash will mind if I borrow one of his shirts?"

"Who _cares_."

"Yeah, he won't mind." North rolled away and sat up, stretching his arms out over his head with a groan. "_Man_, I just shouldn't drink anymore. I'm an old man now."

"Dude, you're _twenty-nine_."

"Details." North waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "I'm about to be old _and_ married, that's just sad."

"You're excited and you know it," York grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"I suppose."

"Did you call Maine last night?"

"No, but I called him about an hour ago. He apologized first, for leaving so suddenly. There actually wasn't any yelling, surprisingly."

York raised an eyebrow, staring at North's back, trying to focus on anything to quell the raging headache. He noticed a small mole at the lower right of his back and he tried to remember if he'd ever seen it before. "That's good."

"Yeah, we're fine. I'll go home after breakfast."

"Invite Maine along. I bet it'll make you feel better to see him making fun of my stupidity and massive hangover."

"Just so you know, I'm not going to tell him about last night," North replied, turning to look down at York. "Well, not _all_ of it anyway. I'll definitely be telling him some of the shit that you revealed during our game."

York shrugged, pulling the sheet up a little more over his waist. "Doesn't matter to me. Whatever makes you feel better. You know _I_ won't be talking to him about anything anytime soon."

North chuckled. "Yeah, you're right."

"Now go shower." York rolled back onto his side, facing away from North. "I need to get some more sleep. And some water."

"Want me to get you some?"

"Nah, I'll get up in a minute."

"Okay."

"You have a little mole on your back," York muttered, reaching towards his pillow to snuggle it more.

"What?" North twisted around left and right, trying to see it. "Huh. No one's ever said anything. Wonder if that's new?"

"Doubt it. Just thought you'd like to know."

"Thanks. Now I can stress about possibly having cancer."

"Oh, shut up." York closed his eyes, his chin on the pillow. He felt North move around on the bed and a moment later, strong arms were encircling him from behind. "North, what—"

"Just…give me a minute, okay?" North asked quietly, snuggling his chin in the crook between York's neck and shoulder. He was on top of the sheets while York was still covered, hugging the pillow.

York shrugged, which was awkward to do with North's head where it was. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I want to remember this. I know that sounds creepy, but it's nice to have some closure on something from so long ago, you know?"

"Yeah." Actually, he _did_ understand. His mind wandered to the last time he'd seen Carolina, remembering how she felt in his arms that night as they lay in bed, her skin flushed, body trembling as he caressed her arms, before she had pulled away from him, both physically and emotionally.

They remained there for a few minutes, York's back pressed against North's chest, occasionally hearing North's breath hitch.

"Hey, North?"

"Yeah?"

"You love Maine, right?"

He felt the corner of North's cheek move up in a small smile. "Yeah, I do."

"And you're happy?"

A quick nod. "Very."

York hesitated for a brief second before asking, "Do you think _I'll_ ever find my Maine?"

"Honestly?"

"Yeah."

"I think you already _have_."

York chuckled lightly. "Somehow I knew you'd say that."

"Hey, look at me." North lifted his head slightly and let York roll onto his back, looking up at him with a frown.

"What?"

North shifted a little to adjust his weight on the elbow supporting himself. "You're one of my best friends, York, and I just want you to be happy. I think you _know_ what will make you happy, and I think you should just go for it. _Fuck_ everything else. _Fuck_ whatever everyone else says. Just _go_ for it and don't look back."

"But—"

"No buts, you fucking idiot."

"Hey!"

"Just my opinion. But it's the right one." North grinned at him and York smiled back.

"You should go take a shower now. I just realized how awkward this is," he said, watching North's cheeks turn pink.

"Oh…right." He backed away and climbed out of bed, heading towards the bathroom. York just laughed and stared up at the ceiling, hearing the water start to run.

* * *

"I'll stick with coffee, thanks."

The waitress smiled at York and took their menus, hustling back to the kitchen. Maine looked over at York, a small smile cracking his stoic façade.

"Nice outfit."

York glanced down at the oversized hockey jersey he'd grabbed from Wash's closet, and coupled with the khaki shorts that were just an inch too tight, he certainly _did_ make an interesting sight. "Yeah? See something you want?" He wiggled his eyebrows and Maine just shook his head as North laughed.

"Good to see you're not _too_ hung over," North said, reaching for the sugar packets. He tore one open and dumped it into his coffee, stirring it carefully so it wouldn't spill over the lip of the mug.

"Eh, I've been through worse," York replied with a shrug. "You didn't see me after New Year's—I got so drunk I nearly fell down the stairs and broke my leg again."

"Oh, _that's_ why you had that limp for a week, huh?" North sipped his coffee, wincing as it slightly burned his tongue. "_Fuck_, still too hot."

"Yup." York stirred his own cup of coffee, watching the swirls settle around the silver handle of the spoon before starting back up again, lost in the intricacies of the ripples.

Maine grunted and pushed back his chair, standing up. "York, can I talk to you for a minute? Outside?"

_That_ broke his concentration. He caught North's somewhat panicked look shot towards him as he nodded, standing up slowly. He followed Maine outside and leaned against the outside of the building, trying to look comfortable despite his fear of Maine and the shorts cutting uncomfortably into his sides.

"Yeah?"

"What did you guys talk about last night?" Maine's tone was oddly non-threatening for once, instead sounding curious and somewhat confused.

York shrugged, trying his best to maintain eye contact, even though the sun was directly behind Maine and it was making his headache even worse to stare at him. "Nothing much. Talked about the wedding and stuff, and he feels really bad about the fight and everything, but I'm sure you know that already."

"And while you were drinking?"

"We played a drinking game. I lost horribly. Don't remember much that we talked about. Why?"

Maine frowned. "He's acting…differently this morning. I can't put my finger on it, but he seems…"

"Oddly spry for how much he drank? I know, I'm jealous too."

"That's not it. It's like he's…_different_. I can't explain it..."

York shrugged. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He looked down at the pavement, rubbing his eyes. He could see sun spots when he blinked, which made him feel nauseous, and he sagged harder against the wall.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." Maine smiled and reached out to punch him lightly in the arm. Well, he'd probably_ meant_ to punch lightly, but for York, it was still really painful. "Let's go back inside."

"Sure. You first." York watched him walk back inside and he went over to the large window, looking inside. He saw Maine sit down next to North and lean over to whisper something into his ear, watching North blush and smile, tilting his head to kiss Maine in response.

York was silent, listening to the cars drive by as he watched the two of them, thinking back over all the years he'd spent with North. All their years in college together, sharing a room for four years, having found creative ways around the housing rules of being forced to switch roommates every year (most kids weren't above bribery, they'd figured out). All the times they played video games together, drank together, York joking that they should just get married already, making light of how he knew North occasionally fooled around with guys, but he usually had a girlfriend so it was funny.

Their dynamic changed slightly when they moved out to California and Wash entered the picture. They had a great few months together before York had decided to enlist in the Army, partially out of spite towards his father but also because he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life, and thought maybe getting away from everything would help.

He'd stayed in contact with North and Wash while on leave, and the couple of times a year he'd get to come back to California were some of his brightest memories—Wash insisting on all of them going to football games even though North had zero interest and constantly complained until he got nachos with extra cheese; York getting into wrestling matches with either of them at the drop of a hat in an attempt to prove that he'd gotten stronger, since North used to make fun of his scrawny arms back in college; that one time York had gotten just a little too drunk and snuggled with North in his bed, upset that his father hadn't even bothered to send him a birthday card or call him on his 25th birthday, while Wash and North had planned an extravagant dinner and gotten them all tickets to go to a show in Vegas.

All those moments where maybe, just _maybe_, North had read a little too much into things, perhaps hoped York felt the same way, realizing every time that nothing was going to happen.

York felt his breath hitch and he leaned against the brick just to the edge of the window. He smiled as he saw North set his hand on the table and say something, and a second later Maine was twisting their fingers together, staring at North as though they were the only ones in the restaurant. York took a deep breath and headed back inside, glad that North had finally been able to find some sort of closure.

**Part 61**

Carolina dragged herself into the apartment, having already heard Simmons yelling about something from the hallway.

"You can't just eat _everything_ in the apartment, that's completely inconsiderate to everyone _else_!"

"It was a bag of _chips_, Simmons, get the fuck _over it_ already!"

"They were _my chips_, you _cockbite_, I even _labeled_ them!"

"Oh, was that a warning? I just assumed '_Grif don't eat my chips_' applied to Carolina and not me!"

"_I fucking hate you_!"

"Whoa, whoa," Carolina interrupted, waving her hands in the air as soon as she saw Simmons latched onto Grif, his arm twisted behind his back as he flailed helplessly, the empty bag of chips in his other hand. "Hey! Simmons! Get the fuck _off_ of him!"

Simmons growled and let go of Grif's arm, backing away as Grif whimpered, rubbing his shoulder. "Jesus _Christ_, Simmons, you nearly dislocated my fucking _arm_!"

"_Good_!"

"Okay, _stop_, you guys _never_ fight this bad, what the fuck is going on?" Carolina said, going over to check on Grif. "This can't _possibly _be just about _chips_."

"Grif _slept_ with _Lindsay_!"

Carolina stared at Simmons, who was literally shaking with rage. She snuck at look at Grif, who'd paled and looked like a kid who'd gotten caught in a massive lie. "Who's Lindsay?"

"My ex-girlfriend!"

"Ex-girlfriend?" Grif snorted, some color flaring back into his cheeks. "Dude, you guys only dated for like, _three months_, that's more like an extended series of hook-ups. And how the fuck did you find _out_?"

"I called her because I wanted to get back _together_ with her, but she said she didn't _feel_ right seeing me after _you_ slept with her!"

"It was _after_ you guys broke up! By at _least_ a month! And she was hitting on me _all the time_ whenever you weren't in the room!"

"Yeah, like _that _would fucking happen!"

Grif took a step towards Simmons, cracking his knuckles. "You wanna fight this out, tough guy? Is _that_ what you want?"

"_Fuck you_!" Simmons lunged at Grif, who dodged easily despite the size he had on the smaller man. He spun around and grabbed Simmons by the elbow, forcing him down onto the floor, his arm wrenched behind his back, listening to Simmons whimper in pain as Carolina stood frozen in place.

The whole thing had taken maybe three seconds _tops_. She couldn't believe Grif could even _move_ that fast.

"_Shit_—_stop it_!" Carolina shouted, running over to push Grif away from Simmons.

"Are you that _pathetic_ that you can't find a _new_ girl?" Grif said with a grunt, regretting moving so quickly after eating so much.

"I should ask _you_ the same _question_!"

"Guys, come on, don't fight over something like this," Carolina said, helping Simmons to his feet. He glared at Grif, who was glaring back at him with a twisted grin. "You guys are best friends; don't let a girl ruin that for you."

"Wow, _that's_ rich, coming from _you_," Grif said, turning his glare towards her.

"_Okay_." _Now_ Carolina was angry. "_Don't_ even _start_ with me on that. That's not the same thing _at all_."

Simmons grabbed her arm, stopping her as she tried to move towards Grif, her fist clenched. "_Carolina_! Look, he didn't mean—"

"I have had just about _enough_ of your guys' _shit_!" Carolina yelled, pulling out of Simmons' grip. "You make fun of me, you tease me, you disapprove of everything I _do_, and yet I keep putting _up_ with _your_ shit and listen to you fight like an _old married couple_ and try to make _you_ assholes feel better about your _stupid fucking problems_!"

"_Fuck_, wait, _what_—"

She advanced on Grif, ignoring Simmons behind her trying to hold her back. "If you've got something to _say_ then _just fucking say it_!"

"Why the_ fuck_ are you sleeping with that _asshole_ _Church_ when you should be with that _York_ guy?" Grif hollered, bravely taking a step towards her.

She stopped, her hand frozen in mid-strike. "_What_?" she said, her voice cracking.

"Come _on_, you _fucking idiot_!" Grif started waving his hands to articulate his point. "You're _obviously_ still not over him; I saw how you two were acting the night the big scary guy proposed to the other guy!"

"Grif—" Simmons tried to interrupt, but Grif kept going, oblivious.

"And the night before they left, _god_, he was about to _murder_ Wash for some reason, and wouldn't stop talking about you! Do you even _see_ what you're _doing_ to the guy? And what about _Church_, that guy is a _dick_!" Grif took another step forward, jabbing a finger into her shoulder. "I know I have no say in your life most of the time, but _goddamn_—you. Are. A. Fucking. _Idiot_," he said, punctuating every word with a stab of his hand.

Carolina dropped her hand, still staring at Grif. "You…you're _right_." She felt Simmons' hand on her arm and she didn't shrug it off right away. "You're absolutely right," she said, narrowing her eyes. "You _don't_ have any say in my life."

"What?" Grif squeaked, his bravado having vanished.

"I can date _whoever_ the fuck I want, and I don't need _you_ or _anyone else_ telling me otherwise!" she exploded, pushing Grif in the chest with the palm of her hand as Simmons let go of her. "I _told_ York, I _told him_ that I _loved him_ and he just stopped _trying_!"

"Maybe because you keep sending mixed signals!" Simmons cut in, gulping as she glared back at him. "You told him you wanted to _be with_ him?"

"Yeah, I—" She thought for a moment, and then frowned. "Well, I guess…I just said I loved him, but…he always_ tried_—"

"So you said you loved him, and then you just decided to wait around for _him_ to make another move?" Simmons shook his head. "_God_, Grif is right—you _are_ a fucking idiot, Carolina."

She glared at him. "I don't—I'm not—"

"You've really got some thinking to do," Simmons continued, folding his arms over his chest. "And _you_," he directed at Grif, who flinched, "you and I need to have a fucking _talk_. If you can be civil, I will be too."

"Uh…"

Carolina left them in the living room and retreated into her bedroom, opening up her laptop on her desk. After it booted up she stared at her background of the ocean, thinking for a moment before opening her internet browser.

* * *

"Are you _sure_ this is okay?" Church set his bag down on the ground and glanced around.

Carolina nodded, slipping her hand into his. "Yeah. I think it'll be good for both of us."

"What exactly are you implying?"

"That you're too fucking pale," she replied. "Some _real_ sun will do you good."

Church sighed, running a hand through his hair. He needed a haircut; it was getting a little too shaggy for his taste. "Fine. But I'm not going swimming in the ocean. There's fucking jellyfish and shit in there and they freak me _out_."

"Deal." She squeezed his hand as the boarding desk announced that their section was boarding. Church grinned and grabbed his bag with his other hand, pulling her towards the group of people merging into a giant line to get onto the plane.


	36. Chapter 36

**Part 62**

Church was practically dragging his bag on the ground as they left the airport, Carolina running ahead to get a cab. He'd spent nearly the entire time trying to sleep but a kid was in the seat behind him, repeatedly kicking the back of his seat. Even after trying to reason with him and resorting to death threats, which the kid's mom wasn't happy about, the kid continued kicking and Church was ready to blow by the time the plane landed.

It was only mid-afternoon but he was already complaining about needing a nap as they climbed into a cab. Carolina directed them towards CT and Dakota's apartment, since they had said it was okay for them to stay there for a few days. CT was usually over at Brandon's apartment anyway, and Dakota was working late most nights so she didn't mind. By the time they got there, the place was indeed empty, with a little note on the fridge saying to help themselves to whatever food they could find, and that someone would probably be home around eight o'clock.

"Does that mean I have time for a nap?" Church grumbled, collapsing onto the couch.

Carolina smiled. "Yeah, if you want. I can go get some food and make us some lunch. There's a grocery store about a mile away, I can just walk."

"Mmph." Church made another noise as he adjusted himself on the couch, snuggling up to a throw pillow he'd found on the floor.

"Was that a yes?"

He was silent, and by the time she walked over to check on him, she realized he was already asleep. The flight _had_ been an early one, but she was still amazed at how quickly he could pass out sometimes. She pat him on the head and went over to the counter to grab her purse, locking the door behind her. She still had the spare key Dakota had given her when they'd moved in four years earlier, tucked next to her own keys on her keychain.

The closest grocery store was nearly a mile west, but it wasn't too hard of a walk, and Carolina was pretty energetic despite having to keep Church under control on the plane. She dug her phone out of her purse and tried to call Wash, but he didn't answer. He was probably at work anyway. She debated calling York, but quickly decided it would be better to wait until she had time to see him in person.

The walk went by quickly and soon she was standing in the produce section, trying to decide between a mango and a pineapple for a snack. Her small blue basket was on the ground next to her feet, holding a loaf of bread, cheese, and some sandwich meat.

She felt a light touch on her arm and nearly dropped the mango in her hand in surprise, whirling around to see York looking at her, confused.

"York!"

"Hey?" He frowned. "Uh…am I dreaming or something? What are you doing here?"

Carolina smiled, putting the mango down. "I'm just visiting for a few days. Needed a break." She realized she was staring at him—he was wearing a suit, complete with a scarlet red tie. "Um, what are you doing here?"

"I _live_ here."

"No, I meant—" She stopped herself and shook her head. "You live across town. Why _this_ grocery store?"

"Oh, this one's close to work, so I come by on lunch breaks sometimes to grab a bite. Healthier than fast food every day, and you know I don't really cook."

"Yeah, I remember." Carolina reached out to touch his arm, but he backed away slightly, her hand falling back down to her waist.

"I should get going—"

"I guess I'll finish—"

They both stopped mid-sentence and chuckled. "I should get back to work," York said first, reaching around her to grab a mango from the bin. His body was dangerously close to hers and she realized she was holding her breath as he pulled back, mango in hand. "Have a good trip."

"Do you want to get a drink later?" she asked quickly, reaching forward again. This time her fingertips connected with the small exposed patch of skin at his wrist next to his jacket cuff. He didn't pull away, but the pained look that flashed across his face said more than enough.

"I don't think that's a good idea," he replied, moving back a step.

"Oh." She bit the inside of her cheek and turned away, bending down to grab her basket. "Okay, maybe lunch or something, if that—"

The words died on her lips as she saw that York was already gone.

(b)

"_Finally_. I thought you'd ditched me for good," Church complained as soon as she opened the door, seeing him lying down on the couch, reading a book.

"Sorry. The walk back is always longer than the walk there," Carolina replied, setting the few grocery bags on the counter. He set down the book and came over, watching her unload the food.

"Sandwiches?"

"Yeah, got a problem?"

"Sounds fucking delicious, I'm _starved_," he said, standing behind her. He kissed her neck and started working his hands into her jeans.

"Hey, come on, food first."

"_You_ can be my food," he practically purred, nipping her earlobe. She laughed and pushed him away, shaking her head.

"We're at my friend's place, that's weird. Stop it."

"Aw, come _on_—"

"_No_."

"You suck." He grabbed the loaf of bread and started untwisting the wire holding it closed, moving further into the kitchen. "Want anything to drink? I saw some juice and beer in the fridge earlier."

"Yeah, juice would be great."

"You got it." Church pulled out a container of orange juice and opened the cabinets until he found glasses, grabbing one. A moment later he set a half-full glass in front of her, snatching a piece of cheese from the counter.

"Hey!"

"I'm about to _die_, hurry up."

"Then make your _own_ sandwich," she shot back, grabbing the already-made one as she walked away. Church made an indignant noise and started preparing his own food, grumbling under his breath the entire time as she ate at the table in delicious victory.

(b)

She'd called Maine on the walk home from the store and they'd arranged a dinner get-together later that evening. Carolina had declined to tell him that Church was with her, and was beginning to panic a little as Church stood up from the couch where they'd been watching a movie, checking his watch.

"Don't we have dinner or something?" he asked, helping her to her feet.

Carolina avoided his gaze. "Uh, well, we can cancel, it's really okay."

"But I want to meet your friends," Church argued. "You said it's the gay couple, right?"

"North and Maine," she said. "And no nicknames for them. Once you see Maine you'll understand."

"Like I'm afraid of a gay guy," Church laughed, dragging her towards the door. "You said North was blonde, right? So, what about Captain America, and…"

(b)

"My name is_ Maine_, _not_ The Hulk."

"Right, sorry," came the squeaky reply. "Nice to…uh…meet you?"

"Carolina, you didn't tell me you were bringing _him_," Maine said, turning his attention to her. She smiled and wrapped her arm around Church's waist in an attempt to get him to stop trembling at the sight of Maine.

"Sorry. Thought it'd be a good surprise?"

"Mmm."

"It's okay, I already added one more to the reservation," North said, coming up to stand next to Maine, taking his hand in his. "So, are we good to go? All introduced and everything? Oh, right, I'm North," he added, reaching out to pat Church on the shoulder, getting his attention.

"Yeah. Uh, Church," he replied, finally tearing his eyes away from Maine's massive build. "Nice to meet you, Cap."

"Cap?" North raised an eyebrow.

"Captain America, because you're—uh, never mind," Church said quietly, catching Maine's glare.

"Ah, I get it," North chuckled, gesturing at his hair. "I'll take that as a compliment, Cap's pretty hot."

"Go for it." Church was looking more uncomfortable by the second and Carolina cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention.

"Maybe we should—"

"John, party of five?" A young woman appeared at North's side with a stack of menus. "John, correct?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Table's ready?"

"Well, yes, but I can't seat you if the entire party isn't here," she said, doing a quick head count. "You'll have to wait—"

"I'm here, I'm here, sorry I'm late!" Wash was suddenly at Carolina's side, breathing a little heavily. "I'm sorry, there was crazy traffic on this end of town and I couldn't find parking anywhere to save my life." Carolina stared at him, her mouth partially open to ask him what he was doing there, and he grinned at her.

"Okay, follow me." The girl started winding through the crowds of people and they followed her, Maine in the lead with Wash coming up last. She showed them to a table and they sat down, taking the menus from her. Only then did Wash notice Church sitting on Carolina's other side, leaning over to whisper something.

"Uh…who's _he_?" Wash asked, pointing at Church, who looked up at him.

"Oh, is this Fury?" he asked, squinting in the dim lighting. "No, wait; he has both eyes. You must be…Washingtub! Though I guess you should be Hawkeye, if we're gonna keep with the theme."

"_What_…the _fuck_ did you just call me? And who the hell _are_ you?" Wash asked again, his cheeks turning pink.

"This is Church," Carolina cut in. "He's my friend from New York."

"Why is he _here_?"

"Don't be rude, _Clint_," North joked, patting him on the arm.

"I don't understand anything anymore—"

"_Avengers_, man," North said, rolling his eyes. "You don't keep up on anything, do you?"

"What the _fuck_ are you _talking_ about—"

"Can I get everyone's drink order started?" A young man appeared at Maine's side, order pad at the ready. Church quickly ordered a beer and they went around the table, Wash glaring at Church the entire time. As soon as the server was gone, Wash leaned over and put his hand on Carolina's leg, getting her attention and watching Church give him a dirty look in return.

"Who's this guy?" he asked, trying to keep his temper under control.

"He's…a friend," she replied in a low voice. "Behave."

"Can't make me." He leaned away and stared at Church. "So, are you two _friends,_ like you're fucking? Or are you _friends_, like where you talk and occasionally get meals together?"

"_Wash_!" Carolina exclaimed as Church answered, "The first one." Wash heard him and stood up, tossing his napkin on the table.

"I'm out," he said, shaking his head as North tried to grab his arm. "Sorry, Lina. I was excited to see you when North said you were in town, but I don't want to be involved with this. I _just_ made up with York and we're finally talking again; I don't want to give him any more ammo to get pissed off at me with."

Church leaned back in his chair, a smug look on his face, as Carolina stood up, holding his shoulder. "Come on, just stay for dinner," she pleaded, catching the look of pure anger on his face as he looked around her at Church. "For me."

"Sorry. Call me later," he said, stepping back. He nodded at North and Maine and turned to leave, winding his way through the aisle a moment later, disappearing out the door. Carolina sat down before people could start staring at her and caught Maine's disapproving look almost immediately.

"So, does anyone want to split an appetizer?" Church asked, pointing at something on the menu. The other three stared at each other in silence as he continued talking to himself about which appetizer looked best.

(b)

York had just sat down at his table, a bowl of soup in front of him, blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He'd started coughing when he'd gotten back to work earlier that day, after the run-in at the grocery store with Carolina, and was determined to fight off whatever infection he'd picked up. He couldn't afford to take time off work since he'd only been there a few months and was still trying to make a good impression, especially since his boss, Jill, seemed to like giving him the hardest work most of the time. At least she made up for it, shamelessly flirting with him the rest of the time.

His phone rang from the counter where it was charging the second he had the spoon to his lips. Heaving a sigh, he set the spoonful back in the bowl and stood up, grabbing for his phone on the fourth ring as he read the caller ID.

"What?" he answered, fighting back a cough tickling at the back of his throat.

"We need to talk."

"Come over, I'm eating."

"Be there soon."

York hung up the phone and set it on the table, resuming his meal. A moment later he sneezed, spraying soup all over his hand. He groaned and sniffled.

(b)

He was already on the couch, mindlessly surfing through channels when the door opened and Wash came storming in, slamming the door behind him. He raised an eyebrow and muted the television, sitting up.

"What's up_ your_ ass?"

"Did you know Carolina was in town?" Wash asked, dragging a chair over next to the couch, sitting down heavily.

York shrugged. "Maybe."

"_Maybe_?"

"Yeah, fine, I ran into her at the grocery store earlier. Apparently just before my body decided to betray me," he added, sneezing again.

"Bless you."

"Thanks."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"About _what_?" York replied, hunkering further beneath the blanket.

"About _Lina_, dumbass. Are you going to take her out to dinner? Or drinks? Or show up wherever she is, call her, do _anything_?"

"I don't even know where she's staying."

"Dakota and CT's."

"Oh."

"Yeah, no excuses."

York looked him over. "What's wrong with you? Why are you being so…well, not like yourself?"

"What am I being like?"

"_Mean_."

"I can be mean!"

York snorted, which resulted in him coughing for a solid five seconds. "Yeah, right."

"I just want you two to work it out."

"Oh my _god _I am _so tired_ of everyone getting _involved_ with us!" York shouted, leaning back against the cushions. "Just…fuck off already, okay?"

"Do you not love her anymore?" Wash asked, undeterred.

"I don't know!"

"What do you _mean_ you don't know?"

"I _don't know_!" York closed his eyes, fighting back another cough. "I hated her and then I fell in love with her and then she rejected me and I kept trying but she kept rejecting me and I think she's with someone else now because she was acting really weird at the grocery store but _fuck me_, I _still_ _love her_ and want to _marry _her and have babies with beautiful green eyes but she won't ever take me back because I've _fucked everything up_—"

Wash looked down at his hands as York started crying softly. They sat in silence for a few minutes, York alternating between coughing and wiping his eyes on the blanket, embarrassed at the outburst.

"Sorry," he finally said, sneezing into the blanket.

"She _is_ seeing someone," Wash replied. "Some asshole named Church."

"I figured. North mentioned something and I asked Maine, and he gave me a rough idea of what was going on. Is she happy with him?"

"I don't know. He's a dick, though."

"How do you know?"

"He's here with her."

"_What_?!" York's head snapped up. "Are you _serious_?"

"Yeah, I was just at dinner with them, North, and Maine. Just the five of us, awkward as shit."

"_Fuck_."

"You still have time."

"No, it's—that's why she was acting weird at the store today. Because _he's_ in town with her."

"Weird how?"

"Like…" York frowned, trying to focus his thoughts. "Like she was _happy_."

"Is that bad?" Wash asked, confused.

"Yeah. Because she's happy, and not with _me_. With some _other_ douchebag."

"You're not _completely_ a douchebag," Wash teased.

"Wait, I meant—oh, _fuck_ you."

"Sorry, it was too easy."

"Like your mom."

"Fuck _you_."

They both laughed at that, the tension in the room easing slightly. York stood up, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders more tightly as he headed for the kitchen to get some water. Wash followed him, pushing past him to grab two bottles of water from the fridge, handing York one.

"You should be sleeping," Wash lectured.

"Kind of hard when _someone_ is here bothering me," York replied. Wash just smiled and reached out, giving York a side-hug. He didn't pull away.

(b)

"I'll call you later," Carolina said, giving Maine a hug. He nodded in reply and stepped back to let North hug her as well, both of them giving Church the side-eye as he leaned against the brick wall of the restaurant.

"Have a good night, guys," Church said, smiling at them. They nodded and walked away as he came over to kiss Carolina on the cheek, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"We should get home, I'm tired," she said, smiling at him.

"Yeah, that could have gone better, huh?"

"It was pretty much what I expected, actually."

"So, I have a question," Church said as they started walking away from the restaurant, towards the subway. "Why didn't you tell anyone I was coming?"

Carolina shrugged; she was suddenly glad they were walking side by side so he couldn't see her face. "I don't know. I just didn't think about it."

"Are you embarrassed by me?"

She stopped and he nearly tripped since his arm was still around her waist. He whirled around and stared at her, a serious look on his face. "What?" she said, her voice high and strained.

"It's okay if you are. I'm fine with who I am. I just want to know the truth. No bullshit, remember?"

"I'm not…well…" Carolina sighed, trying to find the right words. "I'm not _embarrassed_ by you. I just…I don't really know how to explain it. I guess I sort of ambushed you, though, and that's not fair. I'm sorry."

"I guess I failed your test," Church said, giving her a small smile.

"It wasn't—"

"Either way, I'm sorry I made your friends angry. I'm not surprised—most people don't like me, so whatever. I just hope they aren't mad at you for very long."

"They'll get over it."

"Good. Because I kind of want to stick around." Church draped his arms over her shoulders, their foreheads touching lightly.

Carolina smiled. "Stick around? Were you going anywhere?"

"Well, I meant—man, you just make me feel stupid. I can never seem to say the right thing around you."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think we could…maybe…be a little _more_?" Church said, tilting his head forward to kiss the tip of her nose.

"I thought we just agreed to keep it simple," she replied, a nervous feeling building in the pit of her stomach.

"No, we did, it's just… I've been thinking since then, and I kind of want you to move in with me and Caboose."

Carolina froze, staring directly into his eyes. "…What?"

"I know we just talked about this a couple weeks ago, but you make me feel _good_, which I haven't had for a long time. And, well, it kind of seems like a good fit. You're the only girl I've ever dated that calls me on my bullshit." Church grinned, taking a step forward to press their bodies together, kissing her passionately. "You can take some time to think about it, if you want," he said softly.

She stayed silent, listening to the people walking past them, the cars driving by noisily, anything to block out the fact that Church had reminded her of York just then, which would explain the smile on her face, if anyone had known better.

* * *

**A/N: I get internet back tomorrow but I'm gonna be busy for a couple days. Hopefully a longer update soon! (By Sunday at the latest.)**


	37. Chapter 37

As much as he wanted to call Carolina and apologize for how he acted in the grocery store the other day, York couldn't—he was too busy dying of whatever plague he'd caught.

He had to call into work two days in a row, effectively giving him a four-day weekend, knowing he wasn't going to be able to enjoy any of those days. His nose was running like a faucet, he was coughing non-stop, his body kept alternating chills and hot flashes, and he spent most of Thursday night kneeling in front of the toilet, throwing up every thirty minutes.

So it was just _awesome_ when at about noon on Friday, someone knocked on his door while he was half-asleep on the bathroom floor.

He raised his head from the tile, shivering under his makeshift blanket of a beach towel, wondering if he was delirious or if someone really was there. The knocking continued and he wheezed as he got to his feet, shuffling out of the bathroom towards the front door. He grabbed a real blanket on the way and wrapped it around himself as he reached for the doorknob, swinging open the door.

It was Carolina.

She had a small bag in her hands and was smiling at him, but the smile faded as she took in the sight of him bundled up in a heavy comforter. "Uh…shit, are you sick?"

"No, I was about to go run a marathon," he replied, sniffling. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to talk, but I can come back later." She turned away and he coughed, watching her turn back to face him.

"You can stay," he said, hating how pathetic he sounded.

"Are you _sure_?"

"Get in here before I change my mind," he replied, gesturing for her to come inside. She nodded and stepped over the threshold, closing the door behind her as he shuffled back towards the couch. At least the nausea had mostly passed and instead he was just shivering uncontrollably. He sat on the couch as she opened the fridge and put something inside.

"I made you a mango salad," she called out. "It's in the fridge for whenever you feel better."

"Thanks," he mumbled, lying on his side. The headache lessened slightly when he was lying down. She came over to sit on the floor, staying a few feet away for good measure. "So how's the boyfriend?" he asked quietly, the throbbing in his head increasing just slightly.

"What boyfriend?"

"Not healthy enough to play that game."

"…He's fine."

"And you?"

"I'm okay."

"Just okay?" He perked up slightly at that, and wondered if she noticed.

"Yeah. Don't really know how I'm feeling some days."

"Mmm."

"How are you? Besides the…" She waved her hands around to indicate the plague currently eating away at his life essence.

"I'm okay too."

"I didn't know you had a new job. When did you start?"

"Accounting. Few months ago."

Carolina blinked. "_Oh_. That's great!"

"Actually _doing_ something with my degree, at least."

"I'm very happy for you." She really _did_ look happy—she was practically beaming.

"Not _that_ big a deal," York muttered, coughing.

"It _is_ a big deal. You're doing something you _love_, and that's fantastic."

"I don't love math, but it pays the bills. More consistent than construction, at least."

"Yeah, I bet."

"So tell me about the guy," York ventured, closing his eyes. He heard her stir, and when he cracked open his eye, he saw her lying on the carpet, staring at the ceiling.

"His name is Church. Met him when—well, a while ago."

"When?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Is he why—" York stopped and coughed a few times. "No, never mind. I don't want to know."

"He's why I missed seeing you leave," she answered, sounding upset.

"Are you guys serious?"

Silence.

"Have you…you know…"

Longer, more awkward silence.

"Okay then."

"It wasn't planned," Carolina finally said.

"That makes it _all_ better," York replied, the headache intensifying.

"That's not—"

"Sorry, that was mean." He sat up slightly, swallowing. "_Fuck_. Hang on." He threw off the blanket and dashed towards the bathroom, reaching the toilet just in time as he felt the bile reach the back of his throat. He vomited forcefully but only for about ten seconds, a personal record that day. Letting out a low moan, he flushed the toilet and leaned back against the wall, enjoying the cool plaster against his back.

"This is familiar," he heard Carolina say from the doorway, and he looked up to see her getting a towel from underneath the sink, wetting the corner of it. "Here," she said, handing it to him. He took it and wiped his face, pressing the lukewarm cloth to his mouth as he breathed heavily.

"Thanks." He managed a small smile.

"I can't just leave you like this," she replied, smiling back. "Do you think you can get to bed? Or do you want to stay here?"

"Here. Here is good. Here is _safe_. I like here."

"Okay, okay. I'll go get you some water."

After she left he managed to get to his feet using the counter as leverage, and stared at himself in the mirror. He looked like shit warmed over—his face was pale, his skin was clammy, his hair was sweaty and sticking up in every direction. He tried to smooth it down but it was looking worse the more he tried, so finally he gave up and splashed some water on his face, slapping his cheeks to bring some color back.

"Hey, you're standing! Good job." Carolina was in the doorway again, a plastic cup of water in her hand. He managed to nod and take the cup, sipping from it as he sat down on the edge of the tub.

"Thanks," he said again. She shrugged and sat down in the doorway.

"No problem. Sorry I just showed up, by the way."

"Where's…Steeple?"

"Steeple? Oh, _Church_. He's sleeping off a hangover. Dakota and CT got really drunk last night and he somehow out-drank them." She shook her head. "I didn't feel like joining in."

"I see."

"So I thought I'd come by and ask you why you ran off at the grocery store the other day," she continued.

"Oh."

"At a loss for words? That's not the York I know." She chuckled quietly as he shrugged.

"Don't really have an explanation," he replied, looking down into the tub.

"So you just didn't want to see me, and you ran off without saying goodbye? Again, not really the York I know. The one _I_ know always has to get the last word in somehow."

"What do you want from me?" York asked, slowly raising his head to look at her.

"I…well, I want to know why you ran off."

"No, what do you _want_ from me?" he repeated, setting the cup of water down on the edge of the tub. "Not…today. In general."

"I don't know."

"Then why are you _here_?"

"I don't know!"

"I bet you do."

"I don't _know_ why I'm here, I just—"

"Just what?"

"I just want us to be _normal_ again!" she shouted, causing him to wince. Her voice was louder with the echo of the small bathroom.

"And how do you think _that_ will work?" York asked, closing his eyes to block out the harsh overhead light that was making the headache pound again. "You have a _boyfriend_."

"I don't _know_, York. I just don't get what you're _doing_. I told you I _love_ you, and then you just shut me out. Why did you do that?"

"I was tired of trying," he replied, swallowing roughly. _Come on, stomach, now is _not_ the best time to throw up_. "Tired of being the first to act on anything. You told me that, and then…_nothing_. I don't know what I was expecting, though."

"I don't…" Carolina trailed off, unsure of what to say. York shrugged and reached for the water, taking another sip.

"It's okay. Besides, you said you wanted to take some time to yourself. Though I guess that meant jumping into bed with that other guy."

"That's not how it—"

"_Please_, I don't need details." York pressed a hand to his chest, taking a deep breath. "I just…can you—" He stopped, focusing on the floor for a second, before groaning and dropping to his knees in front of the toilet, vomiting again, this time for much longer. Apparently the water was not sitting well in his stomach.

"You're dehydrated; you need to keep drinking water—"

"_Stop it_. I can…" He wiped his mouth with the towel, flushing the toilet. "I can take care of myself," he said over the rushing water. "You're not obligated to be here."

The look on her face almost made him want to apologize immediately, but it was true.

"Oh." She nodded. "I'll go then."

"Carolina…"

"No, it's fine. I hope you feel better soon. If you get worse, make North or Maine take you to the hospital. I'd take you myself, but I can tell you don't want me around."

He stayed silent, his chest rising and falling with deep breaths as she left the bathroom, and he could hear her picking up her keys in the front room. The door opened and closed a moment later, and he leaned his head against the edge of the toilet, cursing out loud. Managing to stand up, he dragged himself to the sink and brushed his teeth, feeling slightly better afterwards, but resumed swearing.

"I don't think swearing is going to make the pain go away."

"It helps," he growled as he set the toothbrush on the counter, looking up to see Carolina standing in the doorway, glaring at him. "I thought you left," he added as he knelt down next to the toilet.

"I'm not going to leave you again." She knelt down next to him and picked up the towel by a clean part, wiping his forehead for him.

"You don't _live_ here."

"Not what I meant, _idiot_." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, squeezing his shoulder with her hand. "This is _my_ grand gesture."

"Helping me when I'm sick doesn't really qualify as a _gesture_. It's more of an act of charity."

"Shut up."

"Can't. I babble when I'm sick, you know that."

Suddenly her lips were on his, desperate and hot, and he fought back, wrapping his hand in her hair, grabbing the strands as if they were life preservers. He felt delirious, his chest constricting, wondering if he was dreaming or if Carolina was really _there_, in his arms, cool against his own heated skin. Her hands were pressed into his chest, soft and comforting.

"_Fuck_," was the only word spoken a moment later, and he wasn't sure who said it.

**Part 63**

"Hi Church! I miss you!"

"Yeah, I don't miss _you_," Church replied, scowling at how sad Caboose looked in the small computer screen. "How are you?"

"Sad because you're gone. But Tucker has been over a lot, which has been fun!"

"Yo, asswipe!"

"Fuck off, Tucker," Church said. "And get the fuck out of my apartment."

"It's Caboose's apartment too, and he invited me, so _fuck you_," Tucker replied, sticking his face into the frame. A moment later his hand was also in frame, flipping him off. Caboose pushed him away with a frown.

"This is _my_ time with Church, not yours," he lectured, turning his attention back to Church. "Where's Carolina?"

"She's at a friend's house." Church shrugged. "She'll be back soon. I'm sure she says hi."

"Well, say hi back! And do it in my voice, so she knows I said it."

"Sure thing."

Something made a noise off-camera and Church saw a Tucker-shaped blur run behind Caboose, as though he was chasing something. "What was that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Nothing!"

A second later what sounded like a bark was picked up on the mic, and Caboose started babbling nonsense about video games until Tucker came over and whispered something in his ear. "I've gotta go, Church!" he said suddenly.

"_What_?! What's going on, you fucking—"

"Bye!" Tucker cut him off, ending the call. Church tried calling back, but they'd already logged out of Skype. He tried calling Caboose's cell phone, but no one picked up. Firing off an angry, hate-filled text, he tossed his phone onto the floor and leaned back in the chair, seeing Dakota staring at him from the couch, where she'd been reading a magazine.

"What?" he asked irritably.

"Was that your brother?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Wow, you're _mean_ to him and his friend."

"Okay, firstly, you don't _know_ him, and secondly, his friend—Tucker—is an _asshole_ who exists _solely_ to make my life _miserable_, so _fuck off_."

"Fine, fine." Dakota chuckled. "Just observing, that's all."

"Observe elsewhere."

"This is _my_ apartment!"

"_Technicality_," Church grumbled, opening a browser to check his email.

(b)

"That _wasn't_ because of you," York groaned, resting his head on the edge of the toilet seat rim as it flushed. He'd just finished throwing up again, and felt like he was dying.

"No, I know," Carolina said, rubbing his back. "I'm sorry."

"I really fucking wish I wasn't _dying_."

"Yeah, me too."

"No, you don't get it." York shook his head, which was more of a rocking back-and-forth motion since he couldn't really lift his head. "I _want_ to talk things out, but I can't focus on anything right now."

"I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that. You didn't do anything."

"Sor—okay, uh, never mind," she said, catching his glare out of the corner of his eye. "We can talk later, I promise."

"You know what?" He managed to sit up and look at her. "I'm done talking. Why don't we just give it a shot?"

"It?"

"Us."

"Oh." Carolina thought for a moment, and a smile spread across her face. "Okay."

"Okay?" York didn't know what to say to that. He'd been expecting a fight. "_Really_?"

"Really."

"What about Church?"

"I'll end it." She shook her head. "He's not _you_, York. I want _you_."

"Really?" He didn't know if it was the sentiment or the exhaustion, but he wanted to cry or fall asleep; either sounded like a viable option at the moment.

"York, I've loved you for a long time. I didn't think I was ready, but I think I've just been deluding myself and making excuses. And I'm really sorry it's taken me this long to figure that out." Carolina leaned over and pressed her forehead to his shoulder. "I'm really, _really_ sorry."

"It was worth the wait," he whispered. A second later he groaned as his stomach cramped again, and he pre-emptively leaned over the toilet. "Fuck, I'm going to _die_…"

"Do you want me to leave?" she asked, pulling away.

"As much as I want you here, I think you should go back to Dakota's," he replied, staring down at the fresh water in the bowl. "Just…let him down easy, okay? And wait until you get back home. I don't want him to have a terrible vacation because of me. Even if he _is_ a dick."

"You haven't even _met_ him."

"Why are you defending him?"

Carolina sighed. "He's still a friend."

"Are you going to _stay_ friends?" He lifted his head to look at her.

She shrugged. "I…don't know. I _want_ to. I think his brother would be upset if I just stopped hanging out with them. But I don't know if that would be awkward for Church…or for _you_."

"I trust you." York smiled. "I'm not worried."

"I wasn't even thinking of _that_, but good to know."

"I want to meet him."

Carolina laughed, rubbing his forearm. "I think that's the fever talking."

"I'm fine," he argued. "I want to meet the guy, okay? If I'm feeling better in a couple days. Promise."

"_Why_ would you ever _want_ to meet him?"

York shrugged half-heartedly. "To see my competition. Just…I have my reasons, okay? Come on. I doubt he'll care. Does he even know who I am?"

She looked away. "Um…sort of. I mean, I told him about you and Wash, and most of our history."

"Oh, good, so he probably already hates me. Then it'll be an entertaining time for everybody." At the mention of food, his chest began to hurt as though he was about to be sick again. "Oh god—please leave. I'll call you when I feel better. I promise."

"Okay. I'm sorry I can't help—"

He started dry-heaving, with nothing left in his stomach to get rid of. By the time he looked up again, grabbing for the towel, Carolina was gone—but he was feeling better than he had in weeks.

(b)

"Bullshit."

"What?!"

"There's no _way_ you have three aces."

"You _asshole_." Dakota tossed her cards at Church as the front door opened, and Carolina stepped inside, dropping her purse by the door. She had a smile on her face as she came over to them, crouching down beside their card game that was spread out on the carpet.

"Whatcha playing?"

"Bullshit," Church replied with a grin. "And Dakota has a fucking _terrible_ poker face. I've been kicking her ass the entire time."

"I still think you're _cheating_," Dakota defended, standing up as she threw the rest of her hand onto the floor. "Where have _you_ been?" she asked Carolina.

"Just out."

"_Really_."

"Yeah, Church was asleep so I thought I'd go for a walk," she replied, standing up as well. Church followed suit and wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her back for a kiss. Dakota watched as they made out for a minute, but noticed that Carolina looked awkward doing so. She wasn't holding Church quite as tightly as she had been the previous couple of days.

"Okay. Want some food? We have some pizza left over."

"No thanks, I ate earlier."

Church nipped at her earlobe. "Want to take a _nap_?" he murmured, his voice suggestive.

Carolina laughed and nuzzled into him. "Maybe later," she whispered back. He shrugged and let go of her, heading to the kitchen for more food. She watched him walk away, not sure how she was going to avoid more physical contact with him for the remainder of the trip.

(b)

York had finally made it to his bed and passed out for nearly 14 hours, waking up early morning the next day feeling a hell of a lot better, despite his dry throat and occasional coughing fits. Most of the nausea had seemingly passed and he'd texted North to bring him some breakfast once eight a.m. rolled around, knowing Maine would be awake by then and not angrily woken up by the phone.

He'd made that mistake only once before.

He heard the front door open and close, and a minute later, dishes were clinking around in the kitchen. York stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling, controlling his breathing to fight the headache that was probably around the corner. _Those_ still hadn't gone away.

"Knock knock."

He looked over to see North standing in the doorway, holding a plate of toast and a small glass of orange juice. "Hey," he greeted.

"Feeling better?" North sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for York to scoot up into a sitting position, handing him the plate and glass.

"Yeah, actually. I'm finally _hungry_." He picked up a piece of toast and took a bite, savoring the flavor, groaning as he swallowed. "I think this is the best toast _ever_. Of _all time_."

"Good." North grinned as he watched York eat, taking small bites in between sips of juice. "You definitely _look_ a lot better."

"I think I'm on the mend." He finished the first piece and leaned forward, balancing the plate on his legs. "Thanks a lot."

"No problem. We're just upstairs, after all." North reached out and pat his hand. "Hey, by the way, thanks for being cool about everything before. I know I already said it, but I appreciate you listening and not…I dunno, judging me or something."

York smiled and nodded. "Yeah, of course, man. You're my best friend. I don't want things to be awkward between us."

"And in that spirit, I feel obligated to tell you that we had dinner with Carolina the other night." North frowned. "Did you know she's in town?"

"Yup."

"Did Wash tell you?"

"No, I ran into her, before I was dying, anyway. But he _did_ tell me about the dinner."

"And—"

"And the boyfriend, yes." York shook his head. "It's okay. Really."

"You're…not upset." North cocked his head curiously. "Why?"

"Because it's not a big deal."

North was silent for a minute, thinking, and suddenly he hit his palm with his fist. "Oh my god, _you two are back together_."

"Is it _that_ fucking obvious?" York mumbled through an embarrassed smile.

"_When_?"

"Yesterday. She came over to talk but ended up helping take care of me, I was really sick."

"_Oh my god_!" North practically shrieked, flailing his hands. York rolled his eyes and leaned back against the pillows.

"Way to break the gay stereotype," he said, coughing a few times.

North finally calmed down and leapt over the space between them, crushing York in a massive hug. "I'm _so happy_ right now!" he yelled, his voice partially muffled against York's shoulder.

"I'm…glad for you?" York choked out, trying to push him away so he could resume breathing.

"_Oh my god I'm gonna go tell Maine_!" North jumped off the bed and rushed out of the room, the front door slamming behind him seconds later. York reached for his phone and sent a quick text to Carolina, leaning back against the pillows again, picking up another piece of toast.

(b)

_York (8:22am): North knows. Brace for fallout._

Carolina frowned, reading the text again. Next to her on the foldout couch, Church stirred, yawning loudly. "What fucking _time_ is it?" he complained, rubbing his eyes.

"Nearly eight-thirty," she answered, putting the phone down. "Sorry, go back to sleep."

"Nah, I'm awake now. Who's texting you this early?"

"York. He's usually up early."

"Who?"

"Nick Fury," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"_Oh_, right. Am I going to get to meet him?"

"Do you _want _to?"

Church smiled as he sat up. "Kind of. I mean, you talk about him all the damn time."

"Oh." She frowned. "Do you want me to set up lunch or something? We don't leave until tomorrow night."

"Yeah, why not. Why don't you show me around L.A. today, and we can have a big lunch with all your friends tomorrow? Maybe I can make a better impression," Church mumbled.

"Are you sure?"

"Might as well." He leaned over and kissed her shoulder, sliding his hand down between her thighs.

"Hey!"

"Aw, come on, no one's awake," he grinned, kissing his way down her arm as his hand moved slightly higher. She squirmed away and shook her head.

"I'm not doing this in the living room where anyone can walk in," she lectured, throwing the blanket off of them. "I'm going to start some breakfast. Why don't you go shower and I'll take one after you?"

Church slid off of the bed, stretching his arms over his head. "Only if you promise to join me," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"Just go," she said with a laugh. He made his way to the guest bathroom as she went into the kitchen, thinking of what to make for breakfast.

A small pile of toast was first, followed by setting out small dishes of jam and butter. She was in the middle of cracking eggs in a bowl to make French toast when someone punched her in the arm, and she turned around angrily to see Dakota grinning at her, still in pajamas, looking smugger than she'd ever seen.

"What the fuck was _that_ for?" Carolina groused.

"So _where_ were you yesterday?"

"I told you, I went for a walk."

"To York's place? That's a pretty far walk."

Carolina concentrated on whisking the eggs as she poured milk into the bowl. "What are you saying?"

"I'm just _hurt_ that you wouldn't tell _me_, your _best friend in the whole world_, that you got back together with York."

"_What_?!" The whisk fell into the bowl as she nearly dropped it, barely catching it before it clattered to the floor. She set the bowl on the counter and turned to stare at Dakota, face set in surprise and confusion as she watched Dakota hold up her cell phone, the screen brightly showing a text from North proclaiming that _'omg omg Carolina and York are back together this is not a drill I repeat spread the word!'_

"So it's true, then?"

"_Going…to kill…North…_"

"Easy there, tiger. That answers the question, then. So, when are you telling Church?"

"Telling me what?" Church was standing behind Dakota and she jumped a little, shoving her phone into her bra underneath her sleeping shirt.

"That Lina is allergic to strawberry jam, and she needs me to get some grape jam instead," Dakota replied easily, sashaying out of the kitchen as Church stared after her, eyes trailing up the backside of her legs to her fitted sleep shorts. "Let me go throw on some jeans and I'll run out. Back in a bit."

Carolina tried to compose herself, digging the whisk out of the egg and milk batter as Church leaned up against the sink, grinning at her. His hair was still wet, and he was wearing low-riding jeans and a fitted blue t-shirt. If she hadn't had much more pressing matters on her mind, she would have enjoyed the view.

"Man, such a shame she's taken," he said with a whistle. "Breakfast almost done?"

"Yeah, if you can finish making the French toast I can shower, then we can eat."

"Don't you want to wait till Dakota gets back?"

"I'll live. And stop lusting after my friends; it's creepy."

"Aw, it's in good fun. She's hot!"

"And she knows it," Carolina chuckled. "Wait till you see her girlfriend."

"She has a _girlfriend_?!"

"What, didn't she tell you about Lee?"

Church sighed. "She mentioned a Lee, but I assumed it was a guy…" He looked sad for a moment before the realization fully hit him. "Oh, god, she's a _lesbian_. That makes her even _hotter_."

Carolina rolled her eyes as she shoved the bowl of batter into his arms, interrupting whatever horrible train of thought was likely running through his head at the moment. "I'm gonna go shower. Keep making food, I'm hungry."

"Yes, ma'am." He started whisking and set the bowl on the counter to reach for bread as she left, practically running towards the bathroom.

Once there she stared at her reflection in the mirror and realized how happy she knew she must look to others. She couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face as she started thinking about seeing York the next day.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, earlier when I said I didn't think this was going to end anytime soon? ...I lied. So I'm gearing up for the end here, if that isn't obvious. I've still got a short ways to go, and a few events I want to do. ALSO, I'm gonna be adding "extra" chapters at the end-already I have a flashback to North and York in college, and one to North and Wash when Mr. Flowers introduced them. If there's anything you want to know more about (periods of time I skipped over, certain relationships, flashbacks, whatever), please let me know and I'll write it!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Part 64**

"So what'd you guys do today?" North asked, taking a pull from his beer as Maine stared down Church across the table. They'd invited Carolina and Church up for a drink to unwind after a full day of driving around so she could show him around the city.

"I almost got stung by a fuckin' jellyfish," Church complained, rubbing his ankle.

"Oh my _god_, it was a piece of seaweed and he freaked out," Carolina added, rolling her eyes. "We went to the beach for a little while, and then I took him to Amoeba to look for some CDs."

"I found a few really great rare ones," Church said with a smile. "We also walked around the walk of fame, and had lunch at a little sandwich shop nearby that Carolina hadn't tried yet. It was pretty good, but I think New York has better sandwiches."

"You think so, after only trying one place?" North asked, chuckling.

"New York is the _best_, man." Church reached over and squeezed Carolina's shoulder. "If I lived here, I wouldn't have met Carolina, right?"

"You _do_ realize she lived _here_ first, right?"

"Whatever." Church leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "What matters is that we met."

She looked over at North, who looked uncomfortable. "How was _your_ day?" she asked, trying to get the attention off of them.

"Great, actually! I have some really big news, but _Maine_ wants to wait until tomorrow to tell everyone," North pouted. "Speaking of tomorrow, I made reservations at Mendocino Farms; we've wanted to try that place for a while now."

"Awesome." Carolina smiled and stood up, pushing her chair back. "I've gotta pee, be right back." She left the table and went to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Her phone was in her pocket and she pulled it out, sending a quick 'thinking of you' text to York. He responded nearly instantly with a smiley face and she grinned, tucking the phone back into her pocket.

After washing her hands she came out into the hallway and found Maine leaning against the wall outside, apparently waiting for her. "God, you _scared_ me," she said, shaking her head. "Sorry I took so long."

"What are you doing?"

"I…was going to the bathroom, if that's—"

"You're back with York."

Her cheeks burned. "Yeah, sort of. I think so. Yes."

"But Church is still here. And you're still with him."

She shook her head. "It's complicated, Maine. I can't just dump him _here_. I'm going to once we get back. I think he'll understand."

"He wants you to move in with him."

"How—"

"Just now, he asked us if we thought you were going to say yes." Maine raised an eyebrow as he looked down at her. "I don't think he's going to be as understanding as you say he will be."

"Well, I don't really have a _choice_. I don't want to blow it with York again. I want this time to work out."

"And continuing to make out with _Church_ is going to help that?"

Carolina sagged against the wall. "I don't know what else to _do_," she hissed. "I still have to fly home with him, and I don't want things worse than they already are. Besides, I haven't had sex with him while we've been here, if that makes you feel better. I'm thinking of _York_, and besides, _he's _the one who told me to wait until we got back to New York."

Maine shrugged. "As long as you know what you're doing, Lina."

"I _don't_ know, but I'm _trying_ to figure it out. So I'd appreciate some slack."

"Okay." He raised his arms in mock surrender. "Let's get back."

"Okay." She left the hallway first, with Maine close behind. They resumed their spots at the table and North gave her a strange look as Church draped his arm over her shoulders, taking another sip from his beer.

(b)

York woke up the next morning with the biggest smile on his face.

He couldn't stop grinning as he showered, spending extra time on styling his hair in the mirror, taking entirely too long to choose the right shirt to wear. Finally he settled on a slightly newer pair of jeans that hadn't gotten ripped yet and a fitted navy blue t-shirt. Looking at himself in the mirror, he realized the shirt was too dark and swapped it for a dark red polo shirt instead, carefully pressing the collar down so it wouldn't flip up later.

By the time he finally looked at the clock, he realized it was only nine. Lunch wasn't until eleven-thirty.

Sighing, he sat down at the dining room table and dialed Wash's number, waiting for him to answer. Finally he did on the sixth ring.

"Mmmffhhh, _what_?"

"How are you still asleep?"

"How are you _awake_?" Wash replied sleepily.

"Woke up early. Didn't realize it was _that_ early. Guess I couldn't sleep."

"Excited to see her, huh?"

York grinned, his other hand reaching up to press against the spider-web scar across his eye. "Yeah, is it that obvious?"

"I assumed, from North's text yesterday. Grats, man."

"Thanks."

"The better man won."

"Like it was ever really a _contest_," York snorted. His smile remained in place—he knew Wash was kidding.

"Yeah, true. Dude, let me sleep another hour and we can meet at the place early to scope out seating, okay?"

"Awesome."

"She's still bringing the asshat, right?"

The smile faded slightly. "Oh. Yeah. I actually want to meet him though."

"Seriously?" He heard Wash yawn. "_Why_? He's a dick."

"I'm curious to see just what she sees in him. I haven't heard good from anyone, though."

"Yeah, because he's—"

"A _dick_, I _got_ it. I'll meet you there at ten-thirty, okay?"

"_Nnngh_." The line went dead as Wash hung up on him and York set the phone down, staring out the sliding-glass door onto the porch. It was a beautiful August day and he wished he could be at the beach with Carolina, watching the waves.

(b)

"Are you okay?"

Carolina nodded as they climbed out of the cab and Church leaned back in to tip the driver. Once back outside, he put an arm around her waist and they started walking down the street towards the restaurant at the corner.

"I'm good."

"You sure? You've been acting weird since yesterday."

She nodded again. "Really, I'm okay."

"If you say so." Church pressed his hand more firmly against her hip as they approached the restaurant. Wash was waiting outside for them and obviously had to fight a scowl as Church waved at him.

"Morning," he said with a nod. "Everyone else is inside. Hey, Lina, can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Sure." She smiled at Church and he went inside, trying to avoid Wash's glare following him. Wash turned his attention back to her and smiled.

"So, you and York worked things out?"

"_Fuck_, did North text _everyone_?" she complained, but a smile persisted on her face. Wash laughed and reached out, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I'm so glad," he said quietly, squeezing her tightly. "You have no idea how happy he is."

"I can imagine."

"No, you really can't." Wash snickered and let go of her, smoothing her hair for her. "Come on, let's go inside. I'm starving, and I can't wait to see how this all plays out."

Carolina felt her throat constrict slightly, swallowing roughly as she followed Wash inside. He led her into a back area where a few tables were pushed together, making one large awkwardly-shaped table that was full of people. North and Maine were sitting at one end while York sat on North's other side, laughing over something. Dakota and Lee were on one side in the middle, across from CT and Brandon, while Church and two empty chairs were at the other end. Church was toying with a set of silverware, avoiding questions being lobbed at him from CT and Dakota, and looked up with relief as Carolina sat down next to him, Wash on her other side. She looked over and caught York's glance her way and smiled, forcing herself to look over at Church.

"Did you meet everyone?" she asked, seeing his grumpy look.

"Sort of," he replied with a curt nod. "I think they all hate me already."

"Aw, he's sort of adorable," Lee said, leaning over to ruffle his hair. Church smiled and relaxed slightly. "I mean, he's like a teddy bear, but one that makes fun of you instead of comforting you."

"Hey!"

"That's a compliment."

"Oh. Thanks?"

Dakota laughed and pulled Lee towards her, kissing her on the cheek. Church tried to avoid staring and instead directed his attention to York, who was across the table. "Hey, is that Fury?" he asked, and Carolina chuckled.

"Yeah, that's York. Didn't you meet him?"

"Nah, he was busy talking with Cap when I came in."

Carolina had to remember his nickname for North and finally she got it, nodding. "Come here," she said, standing up, grabbing Church's hand. She dragged him out of his seat and around the table to stand behind York and to the side a bit, reaching out to tap his shoulder. He looked up, craning his head to see them, and smiled a little too happily at the sight of her.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"Hey, you," she said, smiling. "Oh, this is Church. Church, this is York."

York stood up and turned around to face them properly, and she realized he had a few inches on Church, somehow seeming menacing as he grasped Church's hand, shaking it firmly. To his credit, Church stood his ground and squared his shoulders, obviously slightly intimidated. "Good to meet you," he said with a grin.

"You too. Oh, hang on a sec." Church wrestled his hand free and dug into his pocket, taking something out to hand to York.

"What the—" York untangled the mess of strings and realized it was an eye patch. "Oh, my _god_, this is either the most offensive or the most awesome gift I've ever gotten."

Church laughed, running a hand through his hair. "I was kind of going with a theme, I hope you get it. I don't know if anyone told you yet."

"Yeah, yeah, Nick Fury, one eye, I get it. Clever." He tapped his eye and glanced back at North with a laugh. "Now I don't feel so left out, _Cappy_." North gave him a thumbs-up, laughing. "So who does that make you?"

"Oh, I'm not part of the group," Church said. "But I think Carolina could be Black Widow."

"Oh, don't get me involved in _that_," she said, shaking her head. "Come on, let's go sit down."

Church walked back over to his chair as York brushed his hand against Carolina's, smiling as she jumped just slightly. She followed Church a second later and sat down, picking up a menu as she avoided the looks the rest of the group was giving her.

(b)

"So I told him to _stop_ but he just kept _digging_, and we were without power for three fucking days because he cut right through the city power lines. He didn't even understand what happened because he thinks electricity is 'invisible magic' and therefore the power lines shouldn't matter. And he didn't end up getting his pool because the city wrote me a ticket for tampering with city property."

"Wow, he sounds like a character," CT said, laughing. Church shrugged and smiled.

"Yeah, Caboose is pretty special," he replied, shaking his head. "He didn't used to be so…stupid, really, I guess is the only word."

"What happened?" Brandon asked, sucked into the stories.

Church picked at his leftover lettuce from his sandwich. "Yeah, that was probably Tucker's fault. When they were kids, I came home to Caboose wearing a motorcycle helmet that was really tight and he couldn't breathe because the visor was down, and Tucker was telling me they were playing a game. I managed to get it off pretty quickly, but he'd been 'holding his breath' for a really long time and then after that he was always kind of…_off_."

"That's terrible," CT said, frowning.

"Eh, I mean, he was always a _little_ weird but I think that was what tipped him over. But it's okay, I can normally handle him, and he generally stays out my business. Unless he thinks I need 'fixing,' then he gets _really_ involved."

Dakota laughed. "Yeah, I understand that. These two are always up in my business," she said, gesturing to CT and Carolina. Carolina pouted as CT started protesting, saying she was only trying to stop her from making so many mistakes. They started arguing as North stood up, tapping his half-empty water glass with the blunt side of his knife.

"Hey, we have an announcement to make," he said, trying to get everyone's attention. Wash and York were the only ones listening, but when Maine stood up and cleared his throat, silence crept over the others and they were immediately giving them their full attention as both of them sat down.

"Go ahead," York said, glancing at Carolina, who snuck him an eyebrow raise. A second later she felt Church's hand on her shoulder, playing with her hair, and watched York look down at the table, paying a lot more attention to his fork.

"So, we'll be getting official invitations out soon, but we've decided on a date for the wedding, and we wanted you guys to be the first to know," North said, reaching down to rub the top of Maine's head. "It's going to be December 13th, and it's going to be a courthouse ceremony with a reception at Maine's family beach house down the coast."

"Your family has a _beach_ _house_? Wait, I'm not really that surprised," Wash corrected himself.

"That's so exciting!" Dakota cried, clapping her hands together. "OhmygodcanIhelpplan?"

North laughed and nodded. "Yes, you can, although I already have a _lot_ of ideas going." Maine rolled his eyes but he was smiling and blushing slightly.

"Why the 13th?" Church asked.

"That's the anniversary of the first night we spent together," Maine replied, still gazing at North as though he were the only person in the restaurant. "We were supposed to get dinner, but I got caught up at work and he met me at my apartment. We stayed up all night talking and fell asleep on the floor."

"Aww, that's adorable!" Carolina cooed. Maine nodded, still smiling at North as he laughed.

"Yeah, I had the _worst_ backache the next morning," he said. "I still remember that vividly. Woke up with him just staring at me, smiling, and a blanket pulled over me."

"You were _shivering_," Maine said, his cheeks turning slightly redder.

"I _know_, sweetie, but I would have preferred _you_ warming me up," North replied, leaning over to kiss him.

"_Goddamn_ you two are fucking adorable," York groaned. "I _hate_ it."

North winked at him. "Your loss."

"What?" Maine asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Nothing, inside joke, I'll explain later…"

"So," York said, trying to avoid looking directly into Maine's death glare boring into the side of his head, "I think it's about time for me to head out. I'm still not feeling one hundred percent, and I think a nap is in order."

"Yeah, sounds good," Wash agreed with a yawn. "Too many mimosas for me this morning, I'm sleepy."

"You lightweight," CT laughed, poking him.

"Not _everyone_ can drink their body weight," he shot back with a sneer.

"Hey, it took practice to get that skilled!"

Brandon stood up and grabbed CT's arm, hauling her away before her and Wash could get started in a snipe fight. Carolina and York stood up at the same time, awkwardly smiling at each other, and Wash cleared his throat, snapping them out of it.

"I think a nap sounds like a great idea," Church agreed, ducking his head to kiss Carolina. "It's been a long weekend, and we're flying out at five. It was great to meet all of you, though."

"You too," North said, coming over to shake his hand. "Have a safe flight home."

"Thanks. Carolina?"

She nodded. "Go ahead, I just want to say goodbye to everyone, okay?"

Church shrugged. "Sure. I'll go wait outside; I could use some fresh air." He shook Wash's hand and frowned. "Hey, I'm sorry I was so rude the other night. Are we cool?"

Wash smirked. "Yeah, we're cool."

"Great. Congrats, you two. Make sure Hulk doesn't smash Nick Fury," Church laughed, leaving the restaurant with Dakota and Lee. Maine stood up and glared after him, turning to North to demand clarification. Carolina hugged CT and Brandon and they followed after Church. Wash smacked Carolina on the shoulder after they hugged, tilting his head towards York, who was standing awkwardly to the side. North and Maine were last to leave, still arguing, and she walked over to York, her hands in her pockets.

"So."

"So," he parroted.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Incredibly so," York said with a genuine smile. Carolina smiled back and nodded.

"I'm glad."

"Are you feeling okay? I was hoping I didn't get you sick," he said.

"No, I'm okay. I don't think I caught it, amazingly enough."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god."

"I don't want to go home," she said quietly, glancing out to the main part of the restaurant, making sure none of their friends were still around.

"I don't want you to leave," he said, lightly brushing his fingers against her wrist.

"Do you think you could visit soon?"

"Maybe. I don't have much PTO right now because I just used most of it on sick days last week, but I can see what I can do."

"Okay. Classes start in a week, but I could find some time next month to visit, maybe."

York smiled. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Do what?"

"Give us a try again."

Carolina shook her head. "No, I don't want to give us a _try_." She chuckled at the sudden shocked expression on York's face. "I want us to _be_ together. None of this _try_ bullshit."

He visibly relaxed, the smile stretching wider. "Fuck, don't _scare_ me like that."

"Sorry."

"That's what I want too." York glanced towards the front doors. "You should go. Just…call me when you can, okay?"

"Okay." She quickly hopped up on her toes and lightly kissed him on the lips, pulling back with a grin. "I'll call you later."

"Counting on it."

York watched her walk away and waited another few seconds until he followed her, catching a glimpse of her walking down the street in the opposite direction, holding hands with Church. He felt a jealous pang strike through his chest, but he tried to ignore it, knowing it didn't matter anymore.

(b)

"We'll be departing in just a moment. Thank you for your patience with the delay."

Church leaned back in his seat, grumbling that he couldn't recline it yet. He felt Carolina shifting next to him and tilted his head, seeing her staring out the window. Of _course_ she got the window seat while _he_ got stuck riding bitch between her and some overweight guy with boundary issues.

"You okay?" he asked, and she glanced back at him, nodding.

"Yeah, sorry. I just miss it here. I love New York and everything, but L.A. is _home_."

"And all your friends are here," he said, frowning. "Are you going to move back here when you graduate?"

She shrugged, playing with the hem of her shirt. "I haven't decided yet. I guess it kind of depends on if I can find a job anywhere."

"Good point."

He was silent for a minute, not really sure how to bring it up. He moved his hand over onto her thigh and she smiled at him, but it wasn't the same smile as before they'd left New York.

He'd figured it out. The smile was all the confirmation he needed.

"I'm not stupid, you know," was all he said, focusing his attention on the small television screen in the back of the seat in front of him as he moved his hand away, placing them in his lap.

"Church…"

"We'll talk later."

It was gonna be a fucking long flight, that was for sure.

**Part 65**

"Caboose, you better be dressed and Tucker better not be here," Church hollered as he opened the door to their apartment. He'd just dropped Carolina off at her apartment after a silent cab ride and wasn't in the mood for Caboose's bullshit that late at night.

"_Church_! Welcome home!" Caboose came barreling out of the kitchen and smashed into Church, picking him up in a giant bear hug, nearly crushing him. He struggled to breathe and fought to be put down, wheezing out death threats until Caboose finally set him down, grinning maniacally.

"Good to see you too," he coughed, staggering a little bit. "Good _god_, I didn't miss the hugs."

"Hey, dickhead!"

"_Tucker_."

"Dude, you look like _shit_. What the fuck happened in L.A.?" Tucker leaned against the counter, grinning at him from underneath a flop of curly black hair.

"Fuck _you_. And get out. _Now_."

"Fine, fine. Good luck, Caboose."

"Good luck with _what_?" Church asked at the same time Caboose was saying "Okay, time to go now, bye-bye Tucker!" and shoving him out the door. The door slammed closed and Church stared down Caboose as he leaned with his back against the door, struggling to look innocent.

"What's going on?"

"I, uh, I have a surprise for you?"

"What _kind_ of surprise?"

Caboose ran off towards their bedrooms and Church started to follow, stopping partway there because he just didn't have the strength to argue pre-emptively. A minute or so later he watched as Caboose carried out a small, slightly shaggy dog, its eyes wide with excitement and a small amount of fear.

"What. The. _Fuck_."

"This is Freckles! He followed me home!" Caboose said proudly, setting the dog down on the carpet. It trembled in place for a second, eyeing Church warily before slowly trotting over, its tongue hanging out of its mouth, a happy expression on its face.

Despite everything in his body telling him to start screaming at Caboose, he knelt down and held out his hand. The dog sniffed it then licked it, nuzzling over it so that Church would scratch its chin.

"_Freckles_."

The dog barked and Church cracked a smile. He looked up at Caboose, who had his hands to his face, peeking out between his fingers as though having been expecting a blow-up. Which, had it been any other day, would have happened. "He followed me home and I asked around but no one knew who he was so Tucker and I took him to the vet and got him shots which he didn't like very much but then we bought him some food and a little bed for my room and I'll keep him in there and he won't bother you I'm sorry I'm sorry can I keep him _please_ Church _please_?"

Church stared down at the dog and he cocked his head. He noticed a small smattering of dots on his nose. "You got _all_ the shots he needed?"

"Yes!"

"And you're going to walk him _every day_?"

"Yes!"

He scratched Freckles behind the ears and he wagged his tail, panting. He was adorable, not that Church would ever admit that out loud, with a dark brown coat and white paws. He definitely needed a grooming, but fuck if he was going to do anything like that. "Okay."

"_You're the best brother ever_!" Caboose shouted happily, startling Freckles, who started to bark. Church winced and stood up, retreating to his room to slam the door as joyous shouts and barks echoed from the living room.

(b)

"A _dog_?" Carolina couldn't stop herself from laughing. She watched Church sigh and lean back in the chair, running his hands through his hair, tugging on the ends.

"Yeah. And what's worse is that he's actually _cute_."

"That's so sweet. I bet he'll keep Caboose out of your way."

"Yeah, maybe."

Carolina tapped her desk, not sure of what to say. "So, I guess we should talk about it."

"If you want." Church looked entirely uninterested, staring at the corner of her screen.

"We knew what this was going into it. I don't really know what to say."

"I know. I can't even be that pissed off, which sucks."

"How did you…"

"Sort of caught on when you didn't want to have sex, or make out, or even hold hands without getting a weird look on your face." Church shrugged. "I'm not blind. I saw the look you guys gave each other at lunch. Were you at his place that day?"

She nodded. "Nothing happened. We just talked. He was really sick, and I was helping take care of him, and…we kind of just decided to give it a try. But I think it's going to work this time."

"I sure hope so. He'd be a goddamn moron to fuck it up again. Same goes for you."

Carolina smiled at that. "Do you think we can still be friends?"

"I know Caboose would freak out if you just stopped hanging out, but…not for a while, okay?" Church smiled at her, but it was a sad smile. "I need a little time to get over it."

"Yeah, of course."

"Hey, just for my own peace of mind…did you ever seriously consider moving in with me?" Church asked, the smile fading slightly.

Carolina looked away, staring at the cup of water next to her laptop. "I…don't know."

"Okay."

"Church—"

"Hey, it's fine. 'Don't get attached,' right?" He shrugged. "Really, I'll be fine. We just had a good thing going and I'll miss getting laid on a regular basis."

"I'm sure you'll be back in the saddle soon enough," she said, chuckling. "Just promise me you're _not_ gonna call Allison."

"Oh, _fuck no_; I finally got _rid _of that crazy _bitch_. Besides, Caboose would disown me if we got back together."

"_Good_. I'm going to check up on you to make sure."

"Feel free."

She glanced at the clock, realizing it was nearly three in the morning. "I need to sleep, I'm still exhausted from the flight."

"Oh, _shit_, I didn't realize how late it was." Church rubbed his eyes sleepily. "Look, I'll, uh…I'll call you, okay?"

"Sure. And…thanks, Church."

"For what?"

Carolina hesitated for a second. "For…for being there for me. For not letting me wallow in my bullshit. For being…well, being _you_. I really like you."

"I really like you too," he replied quietly.

"Good night."

"See ya around." He ended the call and she closed her laptop, glancing over at her phone. She knew it was way too late to call, but she decided to risk it and picked it up, dialing the familiar number.

York picked up on the second ring, sounding sleepy. "Hello?"

"Hey."

"_Hey_." His voice deepened and relaxed. "You're calling late."

"I know. You have work tomorrow, don't you?"

"No, I mean, yeah I do, but it's only midnight here. Isn't it, like, three a.m. there?"

"Yeah, but I don't have anything to do tomorrow except unpacking and laundry."

"Oh. Right." His voice muffled as he yawned, probably trying to aim the phone away from his mouth. "So, what's up? You just couldn't wait to hear my sexy voice, is that it?"

"Church and I are officially over," she said, wanting to get it over with.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you _sorry_?"

"I—I don't know, it seemed like the right thing to say?" He sounded confused. "I mean, what am I _supposed_ to say to that?"

Carolina sighed. "I don't _know_. I just thought you should know."

"Well…thanks, I guess?"

"You're welcome?"

The line was silent for a moment and she thought he may have fallen asleep, until she heard a whispered "I love you" from his end.

"I love you too," she said quietly, swearing she could _hear_ the smile coming through the phone.

* * *

**A/N: UGH. I feel so bad for Church. :( Don't worry, he'll be around, just...not as much. But don't worry about him, he has FRECKLES now! YAY FRECKLES!**

**(If you have no idea who Freckles is...uh...catch up on RvB and watch season 11. That's all I'm sayin'.)**


	39. Chapter 39

**Part 66**

Carolina dragged herself into the apartment on a Friday afternoon late in September, utterly exhausted from classes. She'd had a meeting with the professor in charge of her program and learned that she was already behind on starting a final project that would determine her eligibility to graduate, which had put her into a panicked tailspin for the rest of the afternoon. All she wanted to do was come home and call York, but he wouldn't be out of work for a few more hours, so instead she sat at the dining room table and spread out a bunch of blank paper in an attempt to jumpstart ideas.

Five minutes later she was in front of the television, mindlessly eating a bag of chips as she surfed channels.

"Whoa, is it that time of the month already?" Grif asked, closing the door behind him as he came inside. He walked over and tried to grab a chip, but she held onto the bag, shaking her head as she muted the television.

"Just upset about school."

"Talk to me." He plopped down next to her on the couch lay down, draping his legs over hers, grabbing for the chips again. This time, she let him take them, brushing her fingers off on his jeans.

"I'm just really behind and it's only three weeks into the semester but I need to start designing a building and I have no idea where to start and I miss York," she blurted out, shifting so that she was lying sideways next to Grif, burying her face against his stomach. A moment later she felt him awkwardly patting her back, still eating chips without so much as a pause.

"You'll figure it out, you always do," he reassured, sounding less confident than he'd probably been aiming for.

She sat up a little, taking a deep breath. "I _will_ figure it out. I know."

"Why not have York come visit?"

She shrugged. "He can't get the time off work right now. He only had a couple days of PTO and he used them when he was sick, back when I was there, and they're too busy at work anyway."

"Can you go back out there again?"

"No, I can't miss class. I'm already behind." She leaned against the back of the couch, poking at Grif's leg. He made an annoyed noise, but didn't make any effort to move out of poking range.

"Just a weekend trip, maybe?"

"Too much money."

"Hmm." Grif paused in his chip consumption, thinking. "When's the next break you get, Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah."

"Man, that's a long time away."

"_Yeah_." She pouted, still poking at his leg.

"_Stop_ that."

"No."

"I'll poke you back."

"You don't have the dedication."

Grif raised his arm, but dropped it a moment later. "Fuck you."

"No thanks."

They laughed and Carolina sighed a moment later. "Can you help me come up with a way to be both here _and_ in California at the same time?"

"Yeah, I'll get right on that," Grif replied.

"Good. Have Simmons help."

"I'll talk to him."

They sat quietly for a few minutes, staring at the muted shapes on the television. Grif reached out and took Carolina's hand, squeezing it lightly before dropping it again, turning his attention back to the chips. She smiled and unmuted the show, snatching the chips away from Grif.

(b)

"Is there no way you can miss a couple days of school?" York asked, sounding hopeful. Carolina was lying on her bed, phone to her ear, curled up underneath the blankets. It was nearly one in the morning and she was exhausted, but didn't want to let him know that.

"No. I have too much work to do. I'm already so behind, I'm going to have to work on concepts all weekend. I was supposed to go see a movie with Simmons but I'm probably going to have to cancel."

"Aw, I'm sorry, babe."

"It's okay." She snuggled into her pillow, stretching her legs slightly. "How was your day? You've been listening to me complain for half an hour already."

"One word: _Corporate_."

"What do you mean?"

York launched into a long-winded rant about how the corporate office was coming down on them for numbers and statistics and so on, but Carolina was only half-listening, mostly just focusing on his voice and how much she'd missed it over the previous months. She realized after a while that he'd stopped talking and opened her eyes, having fallen asleep for a few seconds.

"You still there?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, I thought I put you to sleep. I was just listening to you snoring," he joked.

"I don't _snore_," she said, crinkling her nose.

"Sure you do. But only sometimes. And it's adorable."

"I hate you."

"I know."

They remained silent on the phone for another minute, and she could hear York typing something in the background. "What are you doing?"

"Just working, sorry. Is my typing too loud?"

"No, I was just wondering." Carolina stifled a yawn. "I'll let you get back to it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's late here."

"Oh, shit, it's almost 1:30 there isn't it?"

"Unfortunately." She was already sad at the thought of hanging up.

"Okay. I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow. I'm having lunch with Wash and North so we can plan wedding stuff." He sounded completely unenthused.

"That sounds fun."

"I'm the best man."

Carolina snorted. "Seriously?"

"Yup." York chuckled. "Well, _co-_best man or something. I guess North couldn't decide between me and Wash, so we're both doing the job. It's just a formality, since it's going to be a courthouse ceremony, but still. I have to make a speech," he groaned.

"You'll be fine, you love talking."

"Thanks for _that_."

"Yeah, of course." She yawned again and this time he heard it.

"Okay, get some sleep. I'll call you after lunch tomorrow, okay?"

"All right. Good night."

"Night, Lina."

She stayed where she was, phone to her ear, listening to York continue to type. The sound muffled slightly and she listened as a button was pressed, and the noises got a little louder.

"I put you on speakerphone," York's voice said faintly. "Go to sleep."

She smiled and cradled the phone to her ear, closing her eyes again, drifting off to sleep to the sounds of him typing and occasionally murmuring numbers to himself.

(b)

"I desperately need alcohol," York said, thumbing through the wine menu. Wash gave him a look over his own menu.

"It's 12:30, you don't need to be drinking this early."

"It's _Saturday_!"

"He can have a glass of wine," North interrupted, sighing. "Now can we get back to the topic at hand?"

"No, because I'm not wearing a tux with _tails_," York snorted.

"But it'll be _stylish_!"

"_No_."

"I'm afraid I'm with York on this," Wash agreed, shaking his head. "That's _entirely_ too fancy for a courthouse ceremony."

North pouted, playing with the straw in his water glass. "Come _on_."

"_No_," Wash and York repeated in unison. North slumped down in his chair, pouting more.

"I fucking _hate_ you guys…"

"Look, we'll both wear nice suits and matching shirts," Wash compromised. "And ties."

"Hey!"

"You'll live," he said, glaring at York.

"But I have to wear a tie every day for work, I _hate_ ties now..."

"Okay, _fine_, suits will be nice. Now, for colors…" North continued babbling as they waited for their food to arrive. York kept checking his phone and Wash nudged him under the table, shooting him a look. York mouthed '_What_' and Wash just sighed.

"Are you two even listening?"

"Yeah, uh, lavender and silver, great choice," Wash said quickly. North started to pout again.

"If you're not going to take it seriously—"

"You've already got everything figured out, why do you even _need_ us?" York asked, trying to flag down a waiter. "Seriously, _relax_ already. We'll go shopping and get matching shirts and everything will be fine, so calm the fuck down."

"And why isn't Maine helping you plan?" Wash asked.

North shook his head. "I already tried to get his opinion, but he doesn't want a big wedding, so he put me on a budget and told me he wants purple rose boutonnières, and he's going to wear a white suit, so I'll be wearing a black one."

"Yeah, sorry, hey, can I get a glass of the house merlot?" York asked a waiter, finally having gotten one to stop. The man nodded and disappeared towards the back as York sighed with success.

"Why not both wear white?" Wash asked.

"We don't want to _match_," North said with a chuckle.

"Ah, okay."

Their food arrived a few minutes later and the three of them dug in, putting aside wedding talk for a moment. York's phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out, seeing a smiley-face text from Carolina, indicating she was awake. He texted her back a heart and put the phone away, looking up to see Wash and North staring at him.

"What?"

"You don't even _know_ how big your smile is, do you?" North asked, laughing as he spun some pasta around his fork. York blushed and concentrated on his food, wishing his wine would get there already.

**Part 67**

"…So, if you're _smart_, you've _already_ started studying. If not, you're going to have a bad time. And with that, you're excused."

The professor started gathering up his papers as Carolina dropped her head to the table, narrowly avoiding impaling her forehead with her pen. She felt a tap on her arm and rolled her head up to see a young girl frowning at her.

"Are you okay?" she asked, looking concerned.

Carolina shrugged, sitting up. "Just overwhelmed. I've been studying but I don't feel at all ready for the test."

"Oh, me neither. Do you want to study together? I do better when someone is helping me." The girl stuck out her hand and Carolina took it, shaking it. "My name's Theta."

"Carolina."

"Nice to meet you!"

"You too," Carolina said, smiling.

"Do you have another class to get to, or are you free? I'm starving and could use a sandwich."

Carolina checked her watch. "No, I'm free for a couple hours. Want to just eat on campus?"

"Sure!" Theta fixed her shoulder bag and smiled.

She gathered up her papers, stuffing them in her backpack as Theta comically tapped her foot. As Carolina followed after her, she noticed Theta had a wide purple streak in her short black hair, matching her backpack.

"That must take work to get the purple to show," Carolina pointed out as they walked.

Theta grinned, reaching up to touch it. "Yeah, but it's worth it. I love the weird looks I get. It matches my skateboard!"

"You _skate_?"

"Hell _yeah_! When I'm not falling behind in classes, anyway." Theta blushed slightly. "So, are you graduating soon too? I've noticed you in most of my classes."

"Yeah? You should have said something sooner, I still haven't made any friends in my classes."

"Me neither," Theta said, shrugging. "I don't normally talk to people randomly, but you looked nice."

Carolina smiled. "Well, thanks for taking the first step. Anyway, I'm graduating hopefully in the spring, provided I can come up with a suitable idea for my final project."

"Yeah, same." Theta's shoulders sagged. "I've yet to think of _anything_ and it's driving me crazy."

"At least you have an outlet," Carolina replied.

"Skateboarding is fantastic, but you can only jump off so many rails until you get caught up in your head about homework," she said with a laugh.

"I guess that's true."

They walked into the student center and headed for the sandwich shop at the other end of the building, talking about television shows and complaining about their teachers as they stood in line to order.

(b)

"I just don't get why our entire academic career is based off _one_ stupid project," Theta grumbled, dipping her sandwich into a small puddle of mustard. "It's so stupid."

"I know, but you'll be fine. We just have to come up with an idea, that's all. Maybe we can help each other out." Carolina took a sip of her water. "I don't know how much use I'll be, though. I'm honestly pretty distracted at the moment."

"Why?"

"Just…boyfriend stuff."

"I've had 'boyfriend stuff' before, I get it. What's going on, is he smothering you? Stealing your food? Being mean to you?"

"Hah, no, nothing like _that_. I just got back together with a guy a couple months ago, and he's pretty much all I can think about," Carolina said with a chuckle.

"Aw, that's great! Is he hot?"

"You tell me." She pulled out her phone and brought up the gallery, opening a picture of York mugging for the camera, his arm around Wash, who was grinning as well. "He's the one on the right, his name's York."

"Ooh, he's _sexy_."

"Yeah, and he knows it."

Theta took the phone, flipping through the pictures. "Who's the blonde?"

"Oh, that's Wash."

"He's _adorable_."

"We dated briefly, but we're just good friends now. He and York are best friends." She tried to get her phone back, but Theta wouldn't give it up.

"Do they live here?"

"No, they're back in California, that's where I'm from."

"You wanna take a road trip?"

"_Seriously_?"

"_What_, I just sort of already like this Wash guy," Theta grinned. "Ooh, who's the cutie in the glasses?"

"Oh my _god_, you didn't just call _him_ cute." Carolina checked and sure enough, she had a picture of Simmons and Grif open. "Those are my roommates, Grif and Simmons. Simmons is the one in the glasses; Grif is the one eating half a cake in one bite."

"Roommates, huh? So they're local?"

"That is implied by the use of the word 'roommate,' so yes," Carolina said, rolling her eyes. She snatched her phone back and tucked it into her pocket. "Boy-crazy much?"

"Oh, whatever." Theta wiggled her eyebrows as she took another bite of her sandwich.

"Yeah, remind me to keep you away from every guy I know," she replied, glancing at her warily. Theta laughed, punching her arm across the table.

(b)

"So _please_, try to keep yourself under control," Carolina warned as she unlocked the door. Theta rolled her eyes and nudged them inside.

"Yeah, yeah, I promise. Wow, this is a really nice place!" Theta whistled as they stepped across the tiled entryway, staring at the large living room. The place seemed empty, but there was a half-empty bag of chips on the kitchen counter next to an unopened beer, which was a good sign someone was around.

"Hey, you're getting home later than usual," Simmons said, coming out of the bathroom. "Do you want to get dinner soon? Oh, sorry, who's this?"

Carolina smiled. "This is Theta, she's in my graduate program. Theta, this is Simmons, one of my roommates."

Simmons' cheeks turned pink as he held his hand out. "Nice to meet you," he said, waiting for her to return the gesture. Instead, she hid behind Carolina, mumbling a 'you too.' Simmons awkwardly dropped his hand, giving Carolina a confused look.

"Uh, we were just going to study in my room," Carolina said, turning around to grab Theta by the arm. She dragged her past Simmons and into her room, shutting her door behind them. Theta dropped down on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest. "What the hell was _that_?" she asked.

"I don't like meeting new people," Theta mumbled into her jeans.

"But—you—at school—you said—"

"Okay, correction, I like meeting new people but I get freaked out easily," she said, raising her head. "It's taken me a month to get the courage to even talk to _you_, and that only happened because you looked upset and I thought maybe I could cheer you up. Normally you seem so…_together_."

Carolina burst out laughing and collapsed onto her bed, bringing a pillow up to her face to quell the laughter. Tears were at the corners of her eyes by the time she finally stopped laughing enough to look at Theta, who looked like she was about to cry. "_Together_?" she choked out. "Oh my_ god_, _no_."

"Why are you laughing?" she asked, her bottom lip trembling slightly.

"Theta, I am about the farthest from _together_ a person can _get_." Carolina slid off the bed and sat next to her on the floor. "Let me tell you about the last few years…"

**Part 68**

_"I hate that you're only here for the weekend," Carolina said, leaning into his side as they sat on the couch watching a movie. Grif and Simmons had made themselves scarce for the evening, which hadn't been necessary but was appreciated. The window behind them was open and the crisp late October air was flowing through the apartment._

_"I know," York replied, winding their fingers together. He kissed the crown of her head and pressed his cheek to it, sighing. "At least we _had_ it…even if it _is_ almost over."_

_They'd spent most of their time at the apartment, snuggling together, getting used to the idea of being together again. The first night York had been in town they'd spent most of it talking: deciding how they both wanted things to go, what they didn't want to fight about any more, how long they should wait to sleep together._

_The last discussion item had been crossed off the list nearly immediately._

_"Do you _really_ have to go back in the morning?" she asked sadly._

_"Yeah. I've got some meeting I need to be back for Tuesday morning. Jill was really excited for it and wouldn't tell me what it was about."_

_"Well, I'm glad we had tonight to relax," Carolina said, tilting her head up to kiss him. "It feels like old times again."_

_"It does," he agreed, kissing her back. He reached up to grab her shoulders, pushing her down on the couch. "You know what _else_ feels like old times?..."_

_She giggled and half-heartedly tried to push him away, but gave in almost immediately. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he pushed his body against hers, the cushions dipping underneath their weight. She heard Simmons groan as he ducked into the kitchen for a snack, but York yelled at him a second later to get out and he did, complaining loudly as he hurried back to his room._

(b)

York threw down his pen, watching it bounce off his computer screen. He leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms out over his head, glaring up at the ceiling.

"Hey boss, you okay?"

His assistant poked his head into the office, probably on his way out for a coffee run. "I'm good," York called out, rolling his head back and forth in an attempt to stretch his neck.

"Coffee?"

"No thanks."

"Back in fifteen."

"Okay." He watched the kid run off and smiled. He'd gotten a promotion the month before which involved a slightly bigger office and an honest-to-god _assistant_, and he didn't know what to do with the extra time he now had, since he could just send the kid out for snacks or coffee. It was _such_ a timesaver. And now he was across the hall from his boss Jill, so he made sure to position his desk so that he couldn't see what he was working on when she walked by. He didn't think she wanted to see him sending emails to Carolina while he was supposed to be working.

It also meant the kid could pretend York was busy when _really_ he was just trying to avoid the constant phone calls from North, which were almost every hour now that the wedding was less than three weeks away.

He opened his email and found one forwarded from Carolina, informing him of her flight details. She was going to be coming in on the fifth of December, late the following week. He suppressed an ecstatic grin as Jill popped her head into the office.

"Hey, York, you're needed in my office for a minute, okay?"

"Sure." He quickly minimized the email folder and pushed his chair back, straightening his tie as he stood up to follow her across the hall. Once inside her office he saw a man in a much nicer suit than his own sitting in a chair at Jill's desk, and she closed the door behind them, gesturing for him to sit in the other chair. He did so, trying not to panic.

"What's going on?" York asked, glancing from the man over to Jill and back to him.

The man smiled. "Sean, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"He goes by York around here," Jill said with a smile. "Old Air Force nickname, right?"

"Army, actually."

"Right, my mistake."

"Oh, military man, eh?" The man nodded curtly. "I almost went into the Army. Decided to become a banker instead. Turns out it wasn't much safer." He winked at York, who nodded back warily.

"How can I help you?"

"Well, _York_, my name is Albert Douglas. I'm in charge of any new branches we open up around the country, and we've been looking to expand more to the Midwest recently. I was hoping I could talk to you about your potential involvement in heading up a branch out in Colorado. Jill mentioned you were from there, so I thought you might be interested in returning back home."

York swallowed, trying to get his head around what he'd just heard. "Well, to be honest, I consider _here_ my home, but…"

"I'm not expecting an answer today, don't worry." Douglas reached down into a briefcase next to his leg and pulled out a folder, handing it to York, who accepted it as though it were a bomb. "Here's some information—starting salary, location ideas, and so forth. I'd love your input."

"Of course." He set the folder on the edge of Jill's desk, standing up. "Can I take some time to think about it?"

"Oh, definitely. This is still in the planning stages, so nothing is set in stone. We've noticed your dedication to the job and you've been noticed up at corporate."

"I…uh, thank you, sir. I mean, I just started at the beginning of the summer, but—"

"It _is_ unusual to promote so quickly, but Jill here has been keeping an eye on you, and we trust her judgment," Douglas said. Jill smiled, nodding at him. "We're excited to have you involved, should you decide to be."

"I'll think about it. I'm sorry, I just—this is a little overwhelming," York said, his fingers playing along the edge of the folder. "I've got some stuff going on in my personal life, so things are a little hectic right now."

"Oh, yeah, you have a wedding coming up, right?" Jill asked, clicking her nails along her desk.

"You're getting _married_? Well, congratulations!"

York shook his head quickly, knowing he was bright red. "No, uh, not _me_, one of my best friends is getting married, and I'm the best man—well, co-best man, I guess, and it's a lot of planning, and—"

"_Oh_, I see. Well, good luck with that." Douglas stood up, reaching down to shake York's hand. He stood and they grasped hands, shaking briskly. "Please, contact me directly when you decide. And I hope you don't take _too_ long to think about it," he said in a slight warning tone. York nodded and watched Douglas pick up his briefcase, disappearing out the door a moment later.

"Hey, sorry about the ambush," Jill apologized, coming around to lean against the desk. "He just showed up—he said he'd be dropping by sometime after Thanksgiving, but I assumed it'd be much later."

"It's fine."

"But hey, you're getting noticed, that's a great thing." Jill grinned, reaching out to punch his arm lightly. "You thinking about taking it?"

York shrugged, looking at the folder. "I have _no_ fucking clue."

(b)

"Hey, anything interesting happen at work today?" Carolina asked. He could hear her getting dishes ready to make a late snack as he lounged on the couch in his apartment, the television muted in the background.

"Not really," he lied, glancing down at the folder lying on the table.

"Well, that's good. North wasn't bothering you too much, I hope."

"Not any more than usual." York sighed. "I can't wait for the next couple of weeks to be over. I mean, I'm happy for North and Maine, but _Jesus _I need a break from wedding planning."

"Come in!" she yelled, and he flinched.

"Who's over there?"

He heard voices as she came back to the phone. "Oh, sorry, Church and Caboose are here to watch a movie. There's a new zombie one out that Caboose won't watch unless I'm there to protect him." He could picture her rolling her eyes, but smiling. "Can I call you back in a couple of hours?"

"Nah, don't worry about it. I think I'm gonna crash early tonight anyway, I have an early meeting tomorrow and then I'm supposed to meet Wash on my lunch break to get fitted for suits."

"Cutting it kind of close, aren't you?" Carolina asked. "The wedding's less than three weeks away."

"Yeah, we've been putting it off, but Maine's gonna pay for a rush job, so it'll be fine. Man, I don't even want to know how much he's dropped on North so far," York sighed, shaking his head.

"Aw, he's in love, I'm sure he doesn't care."

"No, I know, it's just scary how much this crap _costs_."

"Hey, is that York?" he heard Church's voice ask. Carolina mumbled something and the line muffled for a second before clearing up again. "Hey, Fury!"

"Hi, Church," York said, rolling his eyes.

"Look, I know we have some…_tension_ between us, but I just wanted to say I'm glad you guys worked everything out and are back together again." He sounded sincere, York had to admit.

"Yeah, thanks. How are you doing?"

"Better. I mean, you know better than anyone what Carolina does to a guy. Hey!" She must have punched him—York smiled.

"I do indeed."

"I'll hand you back to Carolina," Church said, laughing. "Have a good night."

"You too."

Some shuffling was heard and Carolina was back on the line. "Sorry, he wanted to talk to you."

"It's okay. Have fun, all right?"

"I will. York?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"Love you too, babe."

As they hung up he heard Caboose shouting about zombies. York stared at the phone, wondering how on Earth he was ever going to bring up the possibility of moving to Colorado. He was already pretty sure he wanted to, but only on one condition.

He just wasn't sure if that condition would feel the same way.

* * *

**A/N: I'm so sad this is getting towards the end, you guys. But we still have the wedding to get through, so yay! And awww Theta! I made Theta a girl because I felt like Lina has too many guys in her life, and I know she's not quite like the Theta of the show, but I liked the idea of her talking big but being shy, incorporating some of the show's aspects. If that makes sense. :)**


	40. Chapter 40

"Have you decided yet?"

Jill was leaning against the frame of York's office door, arms folded over her chest. York shrugged and turned away from his computer, frowning at her.

"Not yet."

"It's been over a week already."

"I _know_."

"What's holding you up?"

York stared at her, debating how honest to be. "I just…don't know if it's a good fit."

"You're too good for _this_ job, and clearly you've made a decision. What is it?"

"I _want_ to take the job," he admitted.

"Then call Douglas."

"I can't. Not until…"

"Until what?"

"I just need a little more time, okay?"

"_Fine_, but he's been bothering me, so don't take too much longer." Jill frowned. "Are you afraid your girlfriend will leave you?"

York hesitated. "Maybe."

"Look, if she loves you, you two will figure it out. Trust me." She held up her left hand, wedding ring shining on her finger. "If I hadn't asked my boyfriend to move with me when I got offered a job in New York, he wouldn't have proposed. And that was six years ago. So just talk to her, okay?"

"She's coming into town tomorrow. I'm just…trying to figure out the best way to bring it up."

"_After_ sex," Jill advised. "_Not_ before, or most likely you won't get laid." She laughed and left the doorway, whistling as she closed the door to her office. York sighed and stared at a small framed picture of him and Carolina on his desk, flashing back to the last time he'd asked her to marry him. He didn't want an encore performance of _that_.

(b)

Jill was wrong—he should have brought it up _before_.

York ran his hand along Carolina's arm as she lay against his chest, half-asleep. It was late and they'd gotten back from the airport a couple hours earlier. She'd already been tired from the time change, complaining that it already felt like it was one in the morning, but he'd managed to change her mind about going to bed by sweeping her up in his arms and kissing her like he hadn't seen her in weeks—which, strictly speaking, was _true_—and he couldn't bring himself to talk about such an important decision when she was in his arms afterwards.

She was so beautiful, her red hair curling down underneath her chin, splayed across his bicep as he held her tightly, as though to never let her go. His other hand continued to dance over her flawless skin, tracing light patterns over it, unable to stop touching her. Their legs were wound together, a blanket half-heartedly thrown over them after they finished, his chest still rising and falling more rapidly than normal, fighting an personal war over when to talk to her.

"Are you all right?" Carolina's sleepy voice cut through his internal yelling.

"Yeah. Just tired." He was wide-awake. He was never going to be able to sleep at this rate.

"Mmm." She snuggled against him, one leg shifting slightly, her breathing leveling out a little more. "G'night."

"Get some sleep," he murmured, reaching up to stroke her head. She sighed and minutes later she was fast asleep, her breathing deepening to a natural slow rhythm. He focused on her body against his and smiled, realizing that he had nothing to worry about.

They were going to be together, no matter what.

(b)

"_Perfect_."

North clapped his hands together a few times as Carolina looked up from a magazine, her eyes widening.

York and Wash had finally emerged from the dressing rooms, looking entirely uncomfortable. Both were wearing dark black suits with a fitted lavender shirt, a thin silver tie cutting down the fabric. Wash was playing with the cuffs of his suit while York's hands were shoved in the pockets, staring at something on the far wall, as though trying to divorce himself from the situation entirely.

"I don't think the cuffs are the right length," Wash was saying as North came over to fix the cuff links. Carolina tossed down the magazine and stood up, walking over to York as he idly tapped his foot.

"You look _so_ handsome," she said, straightening his tie just slightly. His face turned red as he smiled down at her.

"Honest?"

"_Much_ cuter than Wash," she whispered, kissing his cheek. He laughed and tilted his head to kiss her as they listened to Wash and North arguing over the hem length of his pants.

"Is everything fitting correctly?" the salesman asked, reappearing from the back. North started talking to him about Wash overreacting to the fit as York and Carolina inspected his own suit, tugging on the cuffs. It fit him like a glove.

"I like you in purple," Carolina said, running her fingers over the shirt. "It goes really well with the silver, too."

York fidgeted, playing with the end of the tie where it tucked into the suit jacket. "Thanks," he mumbled. She laughed and kissed him again.

"You're gonna be great, okay? You've gotta show up the other co-best man, after all."

He smiled at that, ignoring the _look_ Wash shot his direction.

(b)

Carolina and Maine tapped their wine glasses together, smiling. They were having a private lunch together; he'd called her that morning in a fit of annoyance over North and she'd agreed to help him get away for a couple of hours.

Less than a week until the wedding meant that North was turning more into a pain in the ass every day, according to Maine.

"He's really not that _bad_, it's just…non-stop," Maine sighed. "I've told him over and over that I'm done, that things are going to be just fine, my parents are taking care of the reception, but he won't listen to me."

"Are your parents going to be there?" Carolina asked, realizing just how curious she was to meet the two people that would produce a man like Maine.

He shook his head, looking sad. "Dad got called away to work in Texas, and Mom went with him. We'll celebrate after the holidays though, so its okay."

"No siblings?"

"Not really. I have a brother but he's older and we don't talk. I invited him but he never got back to me, so he's probably not coming. Kind of some...bad blood there, you might say."

"What happened?"

Maine shook his head. "Really don't want to get into that. Don't worry; you don't want to meet him anyway. You think _I'm_ scary? He's worse."

Carolina smiled. "Is anyone outside of the main group coming?"

"A few people from work, both mine and North's. And a few others, but not a lot of people."

"Sounds great." She sipped her wine. "Are you getting excited?"

"I kind of just want it to be over," Maine admitted. "I'm really nervous."

"_You_? Nervous?"

He glared at her, but she could tell he wasn't really annoyed at her. "I'm getting _married_, why_ wouldn't_ I be nervous?"

"Because you and North are perfect together."

He relaxed, a smile spreading across his face. "Yeah, he's pretty amazing."

"So are _you_, you idiot."

Maine chuckled, running a hand through his hair. It had grown out a couple of inches and was still neatly trimmed. "I don't think so, but thanks."

Carolina smiled. "You look so strange with hair. I'm just not used to it, honestly."

"I want to shave it off," he said with a grimace. "But North was insistent on having hair for our pictures."

"It's just not _you_. I mean, you're a big, scary, _bald_ guy." Carolina picked up her wine glass. "Are you going to shave it off after the wedding?"

Maine nodded. "Probably the next day, if I have my way. I'm tempted to just do it anyway, even if it makes him mad."

"You should just talk to him. Maybe he'll understand."

"Yeah, maybe."

Their food arrived and the conversation was dropped in favor of eating. A few minutes later Maine looked up from his food, staring at Carolina until she noticed and set her fork down.

"Uh, what's up?"

He shook his head. "I was just curious. What are you and York doing?"

She blushed. "What do you mean?"

"Are you both all-in?"

"I don't—"

"I know I've said this before, but I've never seen him as happy as he has been since you got back together. And you know I'm on your side, but are you serious about him? Because you don't want to make me mad."

Carolina smiled. "Don't worry. We're both in it completely. At least, I know _I_ am."

"Good. Because I don't want to have to hate one of you." Maine stirred the straw in his water glass. "I've sort of grown to like both of you."

"I appreciate the warning," she laughed.

"I hope you two figure it out."

"Me too." Carolina sighed, taking a sip of wine. "I wish I knew how serious _he_ was about us, though. I'm too afraid to ask, since we _just_ got back together."

"You should just talk to him."

"He's been acting kind of weird since I got here, though. I don't want to bring anything up that would make it worse."

"Weird how?"

Carolina shrugged. "Like…he has a secret. I don't know. I just keep catching these little moments where it seems like he wants to say something, but then changes the topic really quickly. Has he said anything to you or North?"

Maine shook his head. "It's been all wedding, all the time at our place. York's mostly been avoiding us, and I don't blame him."

"Hmm."

"I'd probably wait until after the wedding," Maine advised. "It's probably just nerves; I know he's freaked out about giving a speech."

"Yeah. Maybe that's it." She nodded. "I'm sure it's nothing. Thanks."

"Of course." He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "You guys are fine, trust me."

"I sure hope so."

(b)

"Hey, guys? Can I…uh…talk to you about something?"

"Oh my god, this is it—you're proposing again!"

"No, I bet she's pregnant."

"_What_? Why would you _say_ that?!"

"Would that be the _worst thing_?"

"_Yes_! I'm not ready to be an _aunt_!"

"You're not blood-related!"

"_Shut up_!" York yelled, burying his face in his hands. He'd _known_ this would be a mistake, but here he was anyway, listening to Dakota and CT squabble like children.

Dakota glared at him, her hands on her hips. "Hey, you're the one who came over _here_, don't yell at _us_."

"Yeah," CT chimed in. Brandon shifted on the couch, readjusting his ear buds as he increased the volume on his iPod. Lee continued reading her book, leaning against him.

The three of them were standing in the kitchen. York had decided to ask for their opinion on whether they thought Carolina would consider moving with him, and had shown up without calling, apparently interrupting a movie night. They'd ushered him into the kitchen for a drink but before he could get to the point, they'd started arguing about babies.

"Okay, Carolina is _not pregnant_," he emphasized emphatically, "and I'm not proposing again. I mean…not right now, anyway."

"So what do you want?" CT asked, leaning against the counter with a frown.

"Well…see, I got this job offer, and I'm thinking about taking it, but—"

"Is it in New York?" CT interrupted, stars in her eyes. "Ooh, are you going to move there with her? _Oh_, you could get married in _Times Square_!"

"Dude, that's _so_ tacky. And really lame."

"Fuck you, it'd be _so_ New York!"

"_It's not in New York_!" he hollered, interrupting them before they could get started again. "It's in Colorado."

Dakota wrinkled her nose. "Colorado? What's _there_?"

"Nothing yet, but my firm wants to open an office in Denver, and they asked me to be in charge. I used to live there, so I know the area, and, I mean, I kind of like the idea of having _weather_ again. I kind of miss it."

"And you want her to come with you?" CT asked.

"Of _course_ he does, dipshit," Lee called out from the living room. York held up his arms in an attempt to prevent arguing by focusing on him.

"I do, and I just wanted to know if you thought she'd be willing to consider the idea."

"Well," Dakota started, stroking her chin. "She _did_ move all the way to New York _just_ to go to school, so I'm willing to bet if you asked her, she'd say yes."

"_Really_? I don't think she'd want to go to _Colorado_," CT argued. "She keeps saying how much she misses California."

"Do you think you could get promoted _here_?" Dakota asked.

York shook his head. "There's not much more I can _do_ here, really. Besides, I love the idea of heading up my own office. It's a fantastic opportunity."

"Have you accepted already?"

"Not yet. I wanted to talk to Lina first."

"But you haven't yet."

He glared at Dakota. "_Obviously_."

"Just talk to her." CT shrugged. "The worst she can do is say no, and you'll break up again."

"_Dude_, _harsh_," Dakota groaned.

York rolled his eyes. "Fine, you're no help. I expected as much. I'll let you get back to the movie."

"What time are you guys getting to the courthouse tomorrow?" Dakota asked as CT wandered back into the living room.

"I think around twelve-thirty. Ceremony's at one, right?"

"Yeah, I remember North saying he wanted everyone there early."

"Sounds good. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Sorry we weren't much help," Dakota said, giving him a hug. "Just talk to her, okay?"

"I'll try. Promise you won't say anything?"

"Promise."

**Part 69**

"God, I feel like _such_ a tool," Wash complained, fidgeting in the hallway that lead to the judges' offices.

There were other couples and small groups of people waiting for appointments, but North and Wash's party was the only group of people dressed up. Wash had been first to arrive, much to his dismay, but North and Maine had gotten there minutes later, Maine nervously holding the marriage license as North busied himself pinning boutonnières on Maine's jacket. As Wash watched, amused, he heard arguing coming from the other end of the hall.

"I _told_ you we should have gotten here earlier!"

"Oh, stop whining, there's plenty of time."

Dakota and Lee were next to arrive, Dakota wearing a flowing blue dress with flowers patterned on it, Lee in a shorter yellow dress with blue bracelets on one wrist. They looked adorable together, and North told them so as he dug in a bag he'd brought along to pull out small wrapped bunches of purple roses, three in each bundle, handing them each one.

CT and Brandon were next to show, him in a nice suit and she in what looked like a pale pink, tight club dress repurposed with a shawl around her arms, hiding some of her cleavage. "I didn't have time to shop," she complained, taking one of the rose bundles North offered her. Brandon rolled his eyes and kissed her cheek, shooting glares at a few of the grooms-to-be staring at CT from down the hall.

"Where the hell are York and Carolina?" Maine grumbled, checking his watch. "They're fifteen minutes late."

"They'll be here," North reassured him. "I had them run a last-second errand; it's probably just taking them a little longer with traffic."

Five minutes later Carolina was barreling down the hall, wearing a dark purple knee-length dress that flared at the bottom, her hair swept up in curls and pinned up, waving her arms to get North's attention. York was right behind her, and so were a few more people—Simmons and Grif were wearing suits and trailing behind York, arguing amongst themselves about something, and a young girl with a bright purple streak in her hair was clinging to Carolina's arm, looking extremely nervous.

"Sorry we're late, traffic was _horrible_," York apologized, grabbing the boutonnière from Maine, who was glaring at him. "Turns out a shit-ton of people like to fly on Saturdays."

"Hey!" Simmons hugged North, grinning. "Thanks for inviting us!"

"Of course! You guys are practically family to Carolina," North replied, giving Grif a quick hug. "So glad you made it!"

Grif shrugged. "I hate dressing up," he complained.

"Who's this?" Maine asked, reaching out to shake the girl's hand. She hid behind Carolina, frowning nervously.

"This is Theta," Carolina introduced, smiling. "Theta, this is Maine and North, two of my best friends."

"Hi," she mumbled, staring wide-eyed up at Maine.

"You're _adorable_," North squealed, pointing at her hair.

Theta smiled at him, looking slightly more at ease. It probably helped that he wasn't as scary-looking as Maine. "Hello," she said again, moving out from behind Carolina to shake North's hand. Her eyes went wide as he swept her up into his arms, grinning.

"You're my new little sister!" he exclaimed. "I _love_ your hair!"

"Uh, thanks?" she gasped out, overwhelmed.

"Dude, you shaved your head!" York said, staring up at Maine, having finally gotten the damn flower pinned to his jacket.

Maine smiled and nodded. "I just did it last night."

"And I couldn't be _happier_," North said, setting down Theta to lean over, kissing Maine on the cheek. "Turns out I don't like the hair as much as I like his shiny, beautiful head."

Grif made a gagging noise and everyone turned to look at him, causing him to blush. "Sorry," he mumbled. "Not the time for jokes, I guess?..."

"John and…Maine?" An older man came out of one of the rooms, holding a file in his hands. "Are you here?"

"That's us," Maine called out, raising his hand. The man frowned.

"Okay, there's more than a few of you…maybe we should move to the courtroom." He waved his hand for the group to follow him and soon they were standing in a small courtroom, standing around awkwardly.

"Uh, where—" North started to ask, but the judge interrupted him.

"Okay, you two, stand up here with me. Who's the wedding party?" York, Wash, and Carolina raised their hands. "Okay, guys on this side, next to John, you, next to Maine." They took their places and the others gathered in a small row a few feet away, standing. "Wow, you guys have a lot of people who care about you," he remarked, smiling at everyone. Grif rolled his eyes and Simmons elbowed him. "Okay, shall we get started?"

North reached out and took Maine's hands in his, nodding as Maine turned scarlet. "Ready."

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join John—"

"North," Maine interrupted, a slight growl in his voice.

"Uh…sorry, North and Maine in holy matrimony. A marriage ceremony represents one of life's greatest commitments and is also a statement of love. Do you, North, take Maine to be your lawfully wedded husband, to pledge to him your love and honor, promise to cherish him and care for him, in the holy bond of matrimony?"

"I do," North said solemnly, squeezing Maine's hands.

"And do you, Maine, take North to be your lawfully wedded husband, to pledge to him your love and honor, promise to cherish him and care for him, in the holy bond of matrimony?"

"Of course," Maine said, grinning broadly.

"Rings?"

Carolina stepped forward, handing each of them a small ring she'd been holding onto. North slipped the solid gold one onto Maine's finger.

"Repeat after me…"

North carefully repeated the vows as the judge said them, promising to forever love Maine, the ring a sign of his love and the unending love and respect for one another. Maine followed suit, slipping a silver band onto North's finger, repeating the same vows. A few sniffles could be heard among the group, but no one dared move to distract from the ceremony.

"May your love for each other be the foundation of your home and center of your hearts," the judge said, clasping his hands together in front of him. "By the authority invested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you two husband and husband. Congratulations!"

Maine grabbed North around the waist and dipped him down, burying his mouth with his own. The room erupted in cheers as North linked his arms around Maine's neck, lost in the kiss.

Carolina reached up to wipe a tear away and saw York staring at her, a smile on his face, his eyes wide, the good one shining with unshed tears. She smiled back and he blinked quickly, turning away to let out a cheer as Maine finally let North stand upright.


	41. Chapter 41

(Random note: I went back and changed the doctor waaaaay back when York broke his leg to be Doc, instead of Delta. The reason will be obvious in a bit.)

* * *

**Part 70**

"To us!" North toasted, arm in arm with Maine as they stood at the front of the large living room, the others spread out in smaller pairs.

"Congratulations!" Wash hollered, raising his glass. Everyone else followed with a cheer and the room was soon filled with sounds of glasses clinking together and shouts for them to kiss. They did, and North took the opportunity to push Maine down in a nearby chair, straddling him as everyone groaned and laughed.

"Just be glad I'm not wearing a garter," North called out in-between kisses, and Simmons and Grif started arguing about the logistics of who would be obligated to wear one as everyone laughed, most of them heading towards the large buffet table near the kitchen.

North hadn't been kidding when he'd told everyone that Maine's family beach house was definitely large enough for such an occasion. It was two stories tall, located a couple of miles inland, and backed by a large stretch of trees and flowers, a large garden out back. The second story had four bedrooms and the kitchen was as large as the living room, which was cleared at the moment, the furniture moved to the edges of the room so people could walk around. Even the downstairs guest bathroom was the size of a small bedroom. There were a few waiters and waitresses walking around, serving champagne and wine in glass flutes, and the buffet was stretched around the kitchen bar and comprised of various foods: salad greens, chicken, steak, crackers and cheese, trays of steamed vegetables, fruit plates, potato salad, and flavored rice.

York had a plate in hand, all set to load up with food, when Wash grabbed his arm, pulling him out of line. "Hey, have you written your speech yet?" he asked, sounding worried.

York shrugged. "Nah, I was mostly going to wing it. You?"

"I have a couple drafts…" Wash pulled out a folded sheet of paper that had a bunch of things scribbled on it, some of them crossed out. York shook his head, waving his empty plate in front of him.

"_No_. No, I am not proofreading your speech. I am going to _eat_." He pulled away from Wash and cut in front of CT and Brandon, who both made annoyed faces at him.

Carolina and Theta were busy talking to North, as North was hugging Theta, making her more embarrassed than she already was. He kept asking her about her hair and all about what she was doing in school, and Carolina couldn't get him to leave her alone. Grif and Simmons were talking to some people from Maine's work, while Dakota and Lee were slow-dancing to the music softly drifting out of the entertainment system near the back of the room. The sliding glass doors that opened up onto a porch wrapping around the entire house were wide open and a slight breeze was blowing through the house, cooling it easily as it was in the low 60's that day. There were a few coworkers of North's milling around, drinking wine as they conversed with others.

Maine came out of the kitchen where he'd been talking with the wait staff and came over to North, looping an arm around his shoulders, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "Hey, sweetie, are we ready for toasts?" North asked, snuggling into him.

"Sure." Maine grudgingly let go and left to go find Wash and York, who were hovering near the food, both devouring plates of chicken, steak and rice. They looked up and groaned as Maine appeared next to them, gesturing for them to follow.

"Can I get everyone's attention?"

The murmuring stopped as they all looked up to see Maine standing near the glass doors, wine glass in one hand, a wireless microphone in the other. Carolina noticed a few speakers hanging in the corners of the ceiling and chuckled. _Everyone_ was going to hear their speeches, that was for sure.

"Thank you for coming and celebrating with us," Maine started, setting his glass down on a nearby table. "We really appreciate all the support from our closest friends, and in the case of some of you, _family_." He smiled at Carolina, who lifted her glass slightly in recognition. "I would just like to—" He stopped as North began elbowing him, a strange look on his face. "_What_, sweetie, I'm trying to—" He trailed off as he saw someone behind Carolina, and she spun around.

A young man was standing near the back of the crowd, his hands held behind his back, dressed in a crisp black suit. He had bright red hair that was neatly slicked back, and was relatively tall. His face was set in a grim frown, and Carolina realized she recognized the facial features in that frown.

Maine handed the microphone over to North, who was pale, and crossed the room, coming to stand in front of the man. Maine was slightly taller and wider in the chest and shoulders, but otherwise they were nearly identical, aside from the red hair on the other man. "What are you doing here?" was all Maine could say, his face frozen in disbelief.

"I was invited," the man replied, shrugging.

The entire room was silent as they sized each other up, and North came over to stand beside Maine. He stuck his hand out, trembling slightly.

"Hi, I'm John, we spoke on the phone a couple times," North introduced himself. The man took his hand and shook it briefly.

"Right, the fiancée—or, I guess, the _husband_." He seemed to roll the word around in his mouth as he said it, as though it had a foreign taste.

"I'm glad you made it," North continued. "It really means a lot to both of us."

"I'm sure it does, but I'd like to hear it from my _brother_."

A small ripple of disbelief went through the crowd, and Carolina edged her way slowly towards York. Maine squared his shoulders and carefully lifted a hand, placing it on the man's shoulder.

"Thanks for being here, it means a lot to me," he said quietly.

He regarded Maine a moment longer before smiling widely, reaching out to hug him tightly. Maine looked slightly relieved as he hugged him back, whispering something into his ear.

"Right, sorry." The man pulled away and turned to North, who was looking slightly more relieved. "It's nice to meet you. And congratulations."

"Thanks," North replied, wrapping his arm around Maine's waist.

"Can I get you anything, Sigma?" Maine asked, appearing much more relaxed.

He shook his head. "No, you should continue with the speech. It was very…sweet. I'm sorry to have interrupted."

York nudged Carolina. "Did you know he had a brother?" he whispered.

She nodded. "Yeah, but I just found out like, four days ago. This is crazy."

"That guy is even scarier than _Maine_," Wash whispered, leaning towards them.

"Dude, _right_?" York agreed.

Maine came over and picked up the microphone from the table where North had left it, clearing his throat. "Um…right. So, that guy over there, that's my older brother, Sigma." Sigma gave a little wave, a cold look set on his face once more. "I didn't think he was coming, so…this is a little bit of a shock. I'm going to let North take over now." He handed the microphone back to North, who had appeared next to him, and leaned against the wall behind them.

North shrugged and looked back out at the crowd, smiling. "Well, to continue from what he was saying before, we really appreciate all of you guys for coming. It was a wonderful ceremony, and we want to get pictures with all of you, so please, don't leave until we do. And now, I'm going to turn it over to our best men—that's right, we couldn't pick just _one_—and let them have some fun. Guys?"

The crowd clapped lightly as York and Wash glared at each other, each daring the other to take the mic first. Wash finally caved and grabbed it, digging his notes out of his pocket as North went over to Maine, kissing him on the cheek.

"Uh…the dictionary defines 'love' as—just kidding," Wash said, waving his hand as people began to groan good-naturedly. "So, I thought I'd start off with a little story about the day I realized North was my best friend. It wasn't until high school when I realized this, even though we'd hung out every day since we met in second grade." He glanced down at his notes and tucked them away in his pocket, clearing his throat. "There was this girl that I was just in absolute love with, and unfortunately, she was already with some other guy. Now, I wasn't the most outgoing guy in high school—" North guffawed, "but somehow I was able to work up the courage to ask her out one day. It went about as well as you would imagine—she turned me down, told her boyfriend, and I got threatened to stay away from her. And I did. At least, until a month later when they broke up and she started talking to me and being nice. I thought I'd finally done it, finally gotten the girl. That's when she asked me to give her North's phone number because she liked _him_."

A few people murmured and he grinned. "Right? He was _always _getting the girls, that asshole. So anyway, because I'm an idiot, I give her his number and she promptly dumps me as a 'friend' or whatever we were. I wallow for a couple days until North comes up to me in the hall, confused. 'Did you give that girl my number?' he asked, and I said 'Yeah, because she likes you.' He shook his head and smiled at me, and I'll never forget what you said, man. You said, 'That girl is a _whore_, and I would _never_ date anyone you ever had feelings for. Friends don't do that, especially for a bitch like that.'"

North started laughing and Wash took a second to regain his composure. "That's when I _knew_ he was my best friend. He had the guts to turn down the girl I liked, _and_ call her a whore. That's _true friendship_, guys. Now, he's just lucky I don't like guys, or he might have never gotten to date Maine." Wash turned and made a kissy face at Maine, who rolled his eyes so hard he probably gave himself a headache. "To the adorable couple!" he toasted, and everyone raised their glasses, cheering as Maine leaned down to kiss North passionately. Wash handed the mic over to York, who stepped forward, waiting for the noise to die down.

"Wow, uh, I don't really know how to follow that, especially since I _am_ dating a girl Wash once liked," he joked. Quiet laughs from Dakota and North pierced the awkward silence. "Um. Okay, moving on then. I don't really have any stories about when I knew North and I were best friends. It just sort of happened sometime during freshman year of college. We were stuck as roommates, and though we hated each other at first, something just…clicked, I guess, and we spent the next three and a half years practically attached at the hip. You're my best friend, North, and I love you."

"You too," North said, nodding.

"Now, Maine…you're an interesting guy, you know that?" Maine grunted, wearing a look of curiosity about where York was going. "You're built like a linebacker and you're one scary motherfucker, pardon my French. But you know what? You're just a big softie, and all it took was me breaking my leg to figure that out."

"I can break the _other_ one," he threatened, North's hand on his chest, patting him lightly.

"See? I might have been scared by that before, but now I know you're just a really sweet guy who's head over heels in love with one of my best friends. And that's _awesome_. North deserves someone who will love him forever, and I'm so glad he finally found that in you. Even if you_ did_ break up for a week over a stupid missed date."

Maine scowled as North chuckled, shaking his head. "To be fair, that one was _my_ fault," he called out, and a few people laughed.

"So here's to you and North. I'm glad I can call you a friend, because I know you have my back. You've been there for North, for me, for all of us, because you care about those close to you, and I appreciate it. Thank you for being such a wonderful guy and making North so happy. Cheers." He picked up a wine glass from the table and raised it, and another cheer filled the room as Maine nodded at him, a smile on his face.

Carolina took his hand in hers and grabbed the microphone away, waiting for the crowd to quiet again. "Okay, my turn, but I'll keep it short," she said, laughing. "I just want to say how grateful I am to have these two in my life. If it wasn't for North and his meddling, I wouldn't have met any of these guys, and if Maine hadn't been so supportive of me for so many things, I wouldn't be where I'm at in my life today. The two of them truly changed my life, and for that I'm so very grateful that I can't even find the right words. So thank you, North, for making me hang out with you guys. And thank _you_, Maine, for pushing me when I didn't want to move. You two are wonderful and deserve each other, and I hope you'll be happier than you can even imagine. Congratulations!"

She set the mic down and a second later, picked it back up. "Oh, and I'd just like to add that if it wasn't for me, these two wouldn't even have gotten back together, so you're _welcome_, you jerks," she said with a grin. Laughter burst out among the crowd as Carolina dropped the mic back on the table, going over to North, who had his arms open for a hug. Instead she grabbed Maine, burying her face in his chest as she held him tightly, tears clinging to her eyelashes. She felt pressure behind her and realized North was hugging her from behind, trapping her between them. Laughing, she wiggled out from between them and wiped her eyes, leaning up on the balls of her feet to kiss North on the cheek, and then Maine.

"I love you guys," she said quietly as people began to talk amongst themselves once again. North grinned and took her hand, squeezing it.

"Love you too," he said. Maine nodded and brushed a tear away from her cheek with his thumb.

"Thanks for making us get back together," he said with a chuckle. Her cheeks burned and she laughed. A moment later York's hand was on her elbow and she glanced up at him, seeing tears in his eyes.

"That was beautiful," he said, pulling her in for a hug.

"I had to save the crowd from _your_ speech," she replied.

"Hey, I _tried_! Not _my_ fault no one has a sense of humor," he muttered, frowning.

Wash tapped her on the shoulder a second later. "Hey, York, can I talk to you for a second?" he asked, glancing at Carolina. He shrugged and let go of her.

"I'm gonna get more food," she said, walking away. He turned to Wash with a smile.

"What's up?"

"I just wanted to say that I'm happy for you two," Wash said, playing with the stem of his wine glass. "I know the three of us have had an…interesting history, to say the least."

York nodded. "Yeah, we have. But it's okay, everything's back to normal now, I think. Besides, we've talked about this, you know?"

"No, I know, I just…" Wash dug in his pocket with one hand as the other set the glass on a table. "Look, I wanted to give you something, and I hope this isn't weird, but I knew you were making a mistake that day and just wanted to save this in case the day ever came."

"Uh…what?"

Wash held out a small pouch and pressed it into York's hand. "I saw this in a box of stuff you were going to throw out, and I rescued it. I think this is the right time for you to have it again. Just…don't fuck it up, okay?" He grinned and walked away, heading towards CT and Brandon to talk. York held the pouch in his hand, frowning, and shook the contents out onto his other palm. A familiar weight hit the skin and his eyes widened.

(b)

_He sighed, gathering up various items in his closet to donate, since North had been on him to clean out his mess of a closet. He'd always been sort of a packrat. It was his only downfall; well, the only one he'd admit to. Now that it was after New Year's, at least he could mark it down as keeping to a resolution or some other equally lame justification._

_As he reached up onto a shelf, his hand knocked a small box and it fell to the floor, opening partially. He knelt down to pick it up and realized it was the engagement ring he'd bought months earlier, when he was turned down by Carolina. A painful stab hit his chest and he quickly snapped the box shut, angrily shoving it in his pocket._

_Minutes later he was dumping clothes and books into a large cardboard box marked "Donate" sitting on the dining room table. His leg bumped against a chair and he was reminded of the ring box, and he pulled it out, glaring at the black velvet case. Seconds later it was nestled on top of a pair of track pants in the side of the box and he was sitting in front of the television, flipping channels. He texted North to come get the donation box, since he had said Wash would be doing the drop-off and he had no desire to talk to him._

_ (b)_

York looked over at Wash, who was busy talking to CT, gesturing wildly, probably telling a story. He saw Carolina staring at him from the buffet and quickly shoved the ring and pouch into his pocket, ducking into the bathroom a moment later to collect himself.

Someone knocked on the door and he heard Carolina's voice calling out, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said loudly enough to be heard, running the water in the sink. "Just washing my hands, be right out."

"Okay." He listened to her walk away and leaned against the sink, staring at the water swirling around the drain. He thrust his hands underneath the stream, watching the drops cascade over his skin, turning his hands around to wet his palms. The party droned out just past the door, but he couldn't bring himself to leave.

"Why haven't you introduced me to any of your friends?" Sigma asked, leaning against the mantle. Maine shrugged, looking down at the ground. He suddenly felt a lot younger and a _lot_ more insecure. His older brother had a habit of bringing that out in him.

"You're never around," he replied.

"Maybe if you would _invite_ me to things, I _would_ be."

"We don't have to play this game," Maine said. "I'm glad you came; it means a lot to me. We can leave it at that."

"Your…_husband_ seems nice. I didn't realize you were still into…that." Sigma flicked his hand at the wrist and Maine frowned.

"North is _fantastic_. I don't need you belittling—"

Sigma laughed, cutting off Maine's rant. "Oh, little brother, you don't have to get defensive. I can tell when I'm not wanted."

"You're _wanted_, but only if you can behave yourself. I don't want another _incident _because you can't control yourself."

Sigma raised an eyebrow. "Ooh, bringing _that_ up, are we?"

"Only because I _have_ to."

"I'll be good." He raised a hand and pressed it to his chest. "Swear on Dad's honor."

"Yeah, like _that's_ any—"

"Sweetie, why aren't you mingling?" North was suddenly at Maine's side, his hand on his shoulder. "Come on, let's go get some pictures. Some of the guests are leaving soon."

"Sounds good." Maine gave Sigma the side-eye as he left with North, walking over to a group of coworkers standing near the buffet. Sigma smirked and drank the last of his wine, setting the empty glass on the mantle. He noticed one of the best men, the brunette one with the bad eye, coming out of the bathroom and cracked his knuckles, deciding to go make friends.

(b)

York unbuttoned the bottom couple of buttons on his jacket, debating taking it off entirely. He glanced over at Wash and saw that his jacket _and_ tie were missing, so he swept his off, carefully laying it over the back of a chair near the bathroom. He left his tie on but loosened it as he looked around the room, trying to find Carolina. Finally locating her talking to a very drunk Grif being held up by an equally drunk Simmons, he started to go over to her but was stopped when Maine's brother stepped in front of him.

"Hey there," he said, smiling. York smiled back, trying to remember his name.

"Uh, hey, what's going on?"

"I just wanted to get to know Maine's friends a little," he replied.

"Oh, uh, yeah, I'm York," he said, nodding. "I'm sorry, I forgot—"

"Sigma."

"Ah, yeah, right. Sigma. Sorry, I'm terrible with names," York said with a chuckle.

"That's fine." Sigma seemed to be staring straight into his soul with those eyes, and York instinctively took a step back. "So, how do you know the happy couple?"

"Oh, I went to college with North, like I said in my speech, and—"

"I wasn't really listening."

"Oh." York frowned slightly. "Uh, college with North, yeah, and I met Maine a couple of years ago on New Year's Eve. He and North had just started dating."

"Interesting." Sigma smiled.

"If you don't mind me asking, what was Maine like when he was younger?" York asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I mean, he looks like such a scary guy, but I bet he was adorable when he was a kid."

Sigma shrugged. "He was…cute, I suppose. Takes after our father. Though I guess I do too. Neither of us really look like our mother."

"I've never seen any pictures of you guys as kids." As he talked, York looked around at the walls, realizing the only pictures hanging were ones of a much older man and woman, likely their parents, but none of Sigma and Maine. "Come to think of it, why aren't there any pictures of you guys here?"

"There's some…_history_ there," Sigma said with a grin. York didn't like the look of that grin, and he tried to smile back, probably looking scared.

"Um, if you don't mind, I'm gonna go find my girlfriend," York said, ducking to the side. "Nice to meet you!" He practically ran over the redhead to whom he'd been attached at the hip all night and Sigma's smile melted into a frown.

Maine's friends were just no fun. He saw the other best man, the blonde, and wound his way across the room to go confront him. Moments later he had him pinned against a counter in the kitchen, his hands on the man's hips.

"What the—"

"Wash, right?"

Wash's eyes widened and he made a small squeaking noise in the back of his throat. "Yeah?"

"How long have you known Maine?"

"Uh, um, since about…New Year's, a couple years ago? I think? I don't know, why are you touching me—"

"You think him and this North guy are going to work out?"

"Of course I do!" Wash tried to push Sigma away, but failed—the guy wasn't as big as Maine, but he apparently had the same strength. "This is weird, can I go now?"

"Hmm." Sigma leaned in, his face inches from Wash's, whose eyes were so wide they probably hurt. "You're no use to me," he finally said, backing away. Wash let out a deep breath he'd been holding and fled the kitchen, ducking into the guest bathroom. Sigma frowned. He knew he'd have more luck with the one called York, but he was wrapped around the redhead and wasn't likely to leave her side anytime soon.

(b)

North inspected the photos on the digital camera, zooming in on various faces until he finally said "Okay, these look great!" and let guests start to leave. It was already nine o'clock and quite a few people had trickled out over the past hour, taking leftovers with them at Maine's insistence, and the wait staff had been sent home as well. CT and Brandon had decided to sneak out to the beach for a late-night walk, and Grif and Simmons were upstairs in one of the guest rooms passed out. They'd been on the plane all morning and combined with drinking too much, they didn't stand much of a chance. Theta was curled up on a couch with a sketchbook, occasionally glancing up at the remainder of the crowd, but mostly focused on sketching.

"Do you need any help?" Wash asked North, who was lining up wine glasses on the counter, counting them to make sure they were all there.

"No," he replied, pausing mid-count. "Go find Maine though, he went upstairs a while ago and I need to ask him if he paid the caterers yet." He resumed counting as Wash nodded, heading upstairs.

"Why are you harassing my friends?" he heard Maine yelling as he got halfway up the long staircase.

"I'm not _harassing_ them; I was only being a good brother and trying to get to _know_ them."

"Then why did I see you trapping Wash in the kitchen?"

"I believe you're mistaken, we were only talking."

"Yeah, I know what talking looks like, and _that_ wasn't it!"

Wash paused at the top of the stairs, hand on the railing. He didn't want to overhear something personal, but was curious to know _why_ Sigma had done that. He'd felt weird all night whenever he caught Sigma glaring at him and York.

"And you think I'm up to something," Sigma was saying as Wash took another step to stand at the end of the hallway.

"I _know_ you are—why _else_ would you be here?"

"It's not like I can _out_ you to your _friends_, you _idiot_."

"Of course not, but I _still_ don't trust you."

"Hey, Maine?" Wash stepped into the doorway of the bedroom, waving his hand. "North wanted you."

Maine looked at him, an irritated look on his face. "Yeah, tell him I'll be down in a minute."

"Okay."

"You can stay," Sigma said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Yeah, no thanks." Wash ducked out of the room and went downstairs, hearing the door shut a moment later. He waited at the bottom of the stairs and Maine and Sigma came down right after him.

"Maine! There you are, babe. Come on, help me pack up some of the food."

"Sure thing." Maine joined North in the kitchen as Sigma stood next to Wash, still smiling.

"I know you overheard us," Sigma said quietly. Wash didn't say anything. "I bet you want to know _why_ we don't talk anymore."

"I don't want to get on Maine's bad side," Wash replied evenly. "I'd appreciate you leaving us alone." He walked off to join York and Carolina as Sigma chuckled.

"Dude, stop creeping behind me," York finally said as he leaned over, grabbing a forkful of rice from the remains of the bowl on the table.

"I'm not _creeping_," Sigma replied. "I just wanted to ask you something."

"If you do, will you go away?"

"_Touchy_."

"For good reason."

"_Fine_, fine. I just wanted to know how long North has been in love with you."

York choked on the rice, a few pieces slipping down his throat, forcing him to cough wildly. Sigma smacked him on the back and he finally calmed down enough to breath, ignoring the curious looks from people around him.

"What?" he said in a high, strained voice.

"Oh, _please_. It was _obvious_ during your speech; he couldn't stop smiling like an idiot. He didn't have the same look during the other guy's speech. How long have you been sneaking around?"

"Jesus _Christ_, nothing is going on between us! I have a _girlfriend_ and he just got _married_!"

"Yes, because _those_ are valid reasons to _not_ have a secret relationship."

"You are _fucked _in the _head_," York said, tapping his own head. "Please, leave me _alone_." He walked off and Sigma frowned.

_This is proving more difficult than expected_, he thought to himself with an inward grimace.

(b)

"Oh my _god_ I'm exhausted," North announced, lying on the floor in the middle of the large living room. Maine was sitting next to him, holding his hand, twisting North's wedding ring around his finger, while the others were scattered around the room, mostly asleep. "I assume you're all crashing here tonight?"

"_I'm_ not fucking driving," York said, a slight slur in his voice. Carolina laughed.

"Yeah, me neither. I'm _drunk_…"

"So, who wants to hear a story about Maine from when we were younger?" Sigma asked, piping up from a chair near the kitchen. Maine shot him a glare that would have stopped any normal person as Sigma stood up, coming to join the group, a beer in his hand.

"I do!" Dakota called out sleepily, snuggling with Lee on a couch pushed against the wall. Theta was asleep next to them, hugging her sketchbook. CT and Brandon were asleep on the floor at their feet, their heads propped up on pillows against the base of the couch.

"_Sigma_—"

"Oh, _relax_, little brother." Sigma sat down a few feet away from him and North, crossing his legs underneath him. "So, we were in high school, I was a senior and little Maine here was a freshman. He was _so_ cute, you should have seen him—all scrawny and floppy hair, nothing like today. He was _so nervous_, it was _adorable_. Not three weeks into the school year he comes home one day, proclaiming he has a crush on someone. Of course, being the older brother, I take him under my wing and he tells me about this boy in one of his classes that he'd been trying to flirt with."

Maine started to say something, but Sigma cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Now, you're probably thinking, 'didn't you know Maine liked boys?' No, I assumed he was _normal_ and liked _girls_, but that's okay. I came around rather quickly and, like the supportive older brother I am, tracked the boy down at school and invited him over to our house to watch a movie. He thought it was weird that I was a senior who wanted to hang out with him, but I told him I had a brother his age who was lonely and needed friends.

"So Maine comes home from school and there's this boy there, his name was…oh, I can't remember it now. Maine, what was his name?"

"Jake," Maine said quietly, knowing he couldn't stop the story from being told. He looked defeated, resigned, staring down at the carpet.

"Ah yes, _Jake_. _That_ was it. So Jake was over at our house, in the living room, and he and I were eating popcorn. Maine walks in the door and just _freezes_ like a deer in headlights. Jake stands up and says, 'oh, I know you! You're in my science class,' or whatever class they had, and little Maine can't even _talk_; he just nods and comes over to sit down on the couch with us, next to Jake, who looks so happy.

"After a little while, about half an hour into the movie, I get up and leave, saying I was going to make some food, or some other excuse, I forget. I'm not gone even five minutes and when I get back, Maine and Jake are holding hands, sharing the bowl of popcorn. Now, I'm not a _monster_, so I didn't interrupt them, even though I knew our parents would be home soon. I don't think I mentioned this before, but our parents are _not_ exactly the most progressive. You might say we grew up in a 50's sort of household."

"I don't think—" North started to interrupt, but Maine shook his head, like he just had to suffer through it until he was done.

"Just let him," he said sadly. North sighed and took Maine's hand in his, clicking their rings together lightly.

"Maine and Jake are just sitting on the couch, holding hands, and I don't want to interrupt. After a little while I see Jake move a little closer to Maine, and suddenly they're kissing and it's _so adorable_. I really couldn't bring myself to interrupt, because this must be Maine's first boyfriend.

"It's not a minute later that the front door opens and our father comes inside, and he just stands there, watching Maine pull away from Jake, looking like he was about to scream. Instead he just left the house and I could hear the car leaving the driveway, and Maine was frantically pushing Jake out the door, apologizing, and I _swear_ even _crying_, though he later denied it."

"I'm so sorry," North whispered, kissing Maine's knuckles. He shrugged.

"I'm near the end of the story, don't worry." Sigma was standing now, leaning against the table that had held the buffet. "So Maine is crying, hiding up in his room, and won't come out. Our parents are in the dining room, it's dinner time, and our father is just _livid_. He'd been screaming at Maine for an hour about how it wasn't _right_ for Maine to like boys, he had to like _girls_, and he didn't want a—well, I won't say the word, but it _wasn't_ a nice one—living in his home. Remember, Maine was only fifteen, where was he going to go? Feeling terrible, because I felt like this whole thing might have been _my _fault, I—"

"_Might have been_?" Maine finally exploded, standing up. "You fucking _set me up_! You _knew_ Dad was coming home early that day, you _knew_ he was going to catch us—"

"Maine, I had _no idea_ that you and that Jake kid were ever going to _act_ on anything."

"_Bullshit_. I talked to Jake the next day at school and he said you _told_ him that I wanted him to come over on a date. That was just _before_ he spread the gossip to the _entire school_ that I was _gay_!"

"Like I could have planned _that_," Sigma replied, raising his hands in the air.

"Mom and Dad refused to talk to me for _weeks_! Surely you remember_ that_, _older brother_?" Maine clenched his hands into tight fists, the skin turning white. "Everyone avoided me at school! I didn't even _get_ a sixteenth birthday! I was cut out of their will _entirely_!"

"They came around."

"After I promised to be _straight_!" Maine was trembling now; North stood up next to him, carefully placing a hand on his shoulder, trying to ground him. "I had to promise to stop liking guys, like I had a _choice_, like it was just some _switch_!"

"And look at how _that_ worked out. Now you're back in their good graces and they bought you a _wedding_. I'd say that makes up for a birthday or two. And all you suffered is a little bit of anxiety about trusting others." Sigma grinned.

"It took me _years_ of talking to them once a month to get back to where they _respected_ me again! You don't know what I had to _go through_, what I had to _promise_…" Maine's eyes filled with tears and he blinked them away angrily. "The only reason I even _have_ the trust fund back is because of _you_. Do you _know_ how _fucked up_ that is?!"

"Would you like me to talk to them again?" Sigma offered. "Surely I can convince them to—"

"You've done _more than enough_ in one lifetime," Maine snarled. "You need to get the fuck out of here _now_ before I _force_ you to leave."

"Why did you bother to _invite_ me then?"

"Because I _thought_ you could maybe act like a _decent human being_ for once in your life and just be_ happy_ for me! We haven't spoken in four years, I thought that was long enough—"

Sigma laughed sharply. "_So_ ungrateful. I'm regretting getting them to reconsider giving you back the money."

"You wouldn't _dare_—"

"Of _course_ not, brother. I'm not _that_ horrible of a person."

"You're ruining my _wedding day_, that's pretty fucking _horrible_."

"Good lord, you're behaving _awfully_ towards your guests, yelling in front of them."

"I think you need to leave," North said, finally stepping forward.

"_Ooh_, standing up for the husband? That's so sweet of you. Remember, North, if it doesn't work out with Maine, I'm sure _York_ over there would be willing to take you back." Maine made a threatening gesture by lifting his arm and Sigma laughed. "Fine, fine. I'll leave. My flight is early tomorrow morning, anyway. It was nice to meet all of you," he said, waving at those who were awake. "Good night, Maine. And congratulations, _truly_."

"_Get. Out._"

Sigma picked up his beer from the floor and set it on the counter, clicking the glass against the edge. "Have a wonderful life together," he called over his shoulder as he left through the front door, slamming it shut behind him.

North wrapped his hands around Maine's waist, kissing his shoulder, as Maine slowly stopped trembling, his fists unclenching. "I'm sorry," he finally said, shaking his head. "I'm so fucking _sorry_."

"It's okay," North soothed, raising his hand, kissing the back of it, near his ring.

"No, it's _not_ okay. _I'm_ the one who let him stay here."

"Well, you did, but _I _tracked him down and made him come. I thought it would be good for you two to be in the same room again." North sounded meek, like he was afraid Maine was going to yell at him next.

"You couldn't have known."

"Because you never _told_ me about him. Why not?" North hugged him tightly. "You can trust me."

"I _know_ that. But it takes me a long time to trust _anyone_ with knowledge about Sigma. And I didn't want to put _you_ through that."

"Am I ever going to get to meet your parents? Or do I even _want_ to?"

Maine sighed. "Someday. Maybe. At least my mom… my dad still wants nothing to do with me. He only put me back in the will because _Sigma_ told him to. He has a way of manipulating people. I don't know what he told our parents, but it's only because of _him_ that I'm where I'm at now."

"No, it's _not_," Wash said, sitting up from where he'd been leaning against a wall near the bathroom, staying quiet. "You're where you're at now because of _yourself_. Don't let that fucker manipulate _you_, too."

"Yeah," Carolina agreed. "You've got us, so _fuck_ that guy."

"What did he mean by _York_ would take you _back_?" Maine asked, suddenly glaring at York, who stood up from the floor, shaking his head.

"Whoa, hey, okay, Sigma cornered me and started going on about me and North and he's fucking _crazy_," York sputtered. North paled as Maine looked back to him, confused.

"_Is_ there something going on between you two?" he asked. "Is _that_ what you were doing that night you got drunk together?"

"Fuck _no_," York said before North could reply. "Okay, look, North had a crush on me like _forever_ ago, but we talked it out and nothing happened and I thought he told you and—"

"York,_ shut the fuck up_," North hissed. "Maine, nothing happened, I already _told_ you nothing happened, we just talked about the wedding and sure, I might have complained a little bit about you not helping as much, but—"

Maine shook his head. "Of _all days_, today is the _one day_ you should tell me the truth."

"I had a crush on York back in college that I never told anyone about," North sighed. "But nothing ever happened, and I got over it. It just…came out while drinking. And we talked about it. But that's _all we did_. I don't even know _how_ your fucking brother would have figured that out, he was probably just guessing, trying to fuck with you."

"Is that true?" Maine glared at York, who nodded quickly.

"Hey, if something happened between us, do you think I'd be able to be around _either_ of you?" he said. "That'd be _horrible_. Sigma was just stirring shit up; even _I_ can tell you _that_."

"Maine, I _promise_, I love _you_ and _only you_," North said, hugging Maine's arm. "I've _never_ cheated on you, and I _never_ will. We just got _married_ today—I don't want to _ruin_ that."

"I know, it's just…it's _so hard_ for me to trust people, and…you never told me—"

"Because _nothing happened,_" North argued. "Maine, I _love you_."

He hesitated, but only for a split-second. "I love you too."

"Why don't we go upstairs," North suggested. "We can talk some things out, okay?"

"Okay." Maine took his hand and kissed his cheek lightly. "I'm sorry, babe. I just…wasn't prepared for all this shit today."

"It's okay." He took Maine by the hand and pulled him towards the stairs. Maine paused and looked back at York. "Are we okay?" he asked.

York grinned. "Of course we're okay."

"Good. Night, everyone."

Maine and North went upstairs as Dakota blinked from the couch, Lee asleep on her arm. "Uh, what the fuck just happened?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. "I think I fell asleep while Sigma was talking. Hey, where'd he go?"

Carolina shook her head. "Go back to sleep, Dakota."

"Okay." She closed her eyes and snuggled closer to Lee, who shifted in her sleep a little. Wash yawned, patting York on the back.

"I'm gonna go crash with Grif and Simmons. Why don't you guys take the other room upstairs?" he suggested.

"Actually, I'm going to help clean up a little," York said, glancing around the room scattered with sagging streamers and some plates lying around. "I need to sober up a bit anyway. Carolina, can you help me real fast?"

"But I'm _tired_," she whined. York gave her puppy dog eyes and she sighed. "_Fine_. Let's hurry up."

"Okay, good night," Wash said, yawning again. He trudged upstairs as York picked up a couple of nearby plates, carrying them to the kitchen. Carolina grabbed a stray wine glass and followed, setting it near the sink as he rinsed off the plates.

"This can really wait until the morning," she said with a tired sigh.

"Will you move to Colorado with me?" York said, pushing at the faucet with his wrist. He grabbed the dishtowel next to the sink and turned and dried his hands as he smiled at Carolina. She looked like he had just asked her to jump over a mountain in a Jeep.

"…What?"

"I got offered a position to be in charge of a new branch in Denver. I haven't given an answer yet, but I think it's a great opportunity. The only way I'll do it is if you come with me."

"York, I—"

"I know we just got back together a few months ago, but I think we're in great place, and I _know_ we have a future together. I'm not asking you to marry me—but I think this could be a really great thing for us, starting somewhere new." He wrung the dishtowel in his hands nervously. She was still staring at him.

"You—"

"So just…think about it, okay? I know it's a lot to think about, but we wouldn't go until after you're done with school—I guess we could do a long-distance relationship for a few months if I had to move earlier, but come to think of it, we're doing that _now_, so it wouldn't be that different if you think about it—"

"_York_!"

He set the towel on the counter, smiling at her. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "Go ahead."

"Let's do it." He watched as a smile started at the corners of her mouth and stretched up quickly, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "Let's move to Colorado."

"Really?!" York cupped her cheeks and kissed her with more passion than he thought he could ever have, cherishing the feeling of her hands on his own, pressing tightly. "Do you mean it?" he whispered, their foreheads pressed together.

"I love you," she whispered back, grinning. "Let's start a life together."

"I love you_ so much_." York was afraid he was going to faint from happiness, holding Carolina tightly in the kitchen, his back against the edge of the sink. His shirt was getting wet but he didn't care.


	42. Chapter 42

**Part 71**

"Thanks again for helping me clean up," Maine said, setting the last of the plates in the dishwasher, clicking the dial over to start it.

"Yeah, no problem." Wash tossed the dishtowel on the counter. "I thought York and Carolina were going to clean up last night, but I guess they were too tired. Are they even awake yet?"

Maine shrugged. "I know North's in the shower, and everyone else is still passed out in the living room. Not sure about those two though."

"I need food," Grif announced, marching into the kitchen with Simmons close behind. At least they were still dressed; Wash had seen Grif naked once in the apartment while visiting Carolina, and it wasn't a good sight. It still haunted his nightmares sometimes.

"I thought we could go into town for breakfast," Maine said, slapping him on the back. "Go wash up and we'll get everyone together."

"But that means food time isn't _now…_"

"I think there's some cheese in the fridge you can eat—"

Grif was already digging around in the fridge as Simmons hopped up onto the counter, yawning. "Man, I drank _way_ too much last night," he complained.

"Did you at least have a good time?" Wash asked.

"Yeah! It was a lot of fun. Thanks for letting us come."

"It was North's idea apparently, but of course you were welcome," Maine said with a smile. "I'm glad you made it. I'm going to go check on the others." He went into the living room and Wash ran upstairs, looking for any stragglers. He found York getting dressed in one of the bedrooms, trying to button up his shirt through bleary eyes.

"Morning!"

York looked up, blinking a few times. "Oh. Morning. What's up? Carolina's in the shower."

"Not anymore," she said, walking out of the attached bathroom, drying her hair with a towel. She was wearing the dress from the day before, having not thought ahead to bring fresh clothes. No one else had either, so at least they would all look as hung-over as she felt. "Your turn, hon."

"I'm good. I had one last night, remember?"

"Oh, right. Are we making breakfast?" she asked Wash, who was looking from York to her and back. "What?"

"Did something happen last night after I went to bed?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

York laughed. "No. Why?"

"You seem…something seems off."

"How so?" Carolina asked, grabbing her purse from a chair next to the bed, digging through it for a brush.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just too exhausted." Wash rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand. "Maine said we're going out for breakfast, so meet us downstairs as soon as you're ready."

"Sounds great." York waved him away and headed into the bathroom to brush his teeth as Carolina dragged the brush through her hair, swearing at the tangles. As soon as he was gone, York poked his head out of the bathroom, grinning. "You've got to look less happy," he lectured, shaking a finger at her.

"Fuck you! _You're_ gonna be the one to give it away."

"Yeah, probably. Hey, at least you'll have snow in Colorado so you'll get to freak out again."

He ducked as she threw the brush at him. "I can't believe he _told_ you that!"

"Hey!"

"Go brush your teeth!"

"Love you!"

"Love you too, assface."

(b)

"So where did _you_ two get off to last night for most of the party?" Carolina teased, reaching back to poke CT's knee.

She grinned. "We just went for a walk on the beach. I didn't feel like making small talk with people I didn't know, and all you guys were busy with pictures and stuff."

"Do you want to tell them?" Brandon asked, and CT nodded.

"Tell us what?" York said, stopping at a red light. They were behind Maine's car, following him and North to some breakfast place Maine knew of nearby. Dakota, Lee, Grif, Simmons, and Theta were in Dakota's car behind them. Wash leaned around Brandon's other side, curious.

CT held up her left hand, showing off a small diamond ring. "We're engaged!"

The car erupted in a flurry of shouts and shrieks so loud that even Maine turned his head in the car ahead, probably having caught all the flailing in the rearview mirror. Somehow York was able to concentrate as the light turned green and they finally made it to the breakfast diner, piling out of the car in the parking lot. Carolina grabbed CT and wouldn't let go as Wash and York mobbed the two of them, Brandon standing off to the side awkwardly. Dakota and the others parked next to them and came over, her and Lee joining in the shrieking as CT managed to show her the ring. Grif and Simmons wandered into the diner to grab tables.

"What the _hell_ is everyone yelling about?" North said, finally getting out of the other car, holding Maine's hand as they walked over.

"_CT and Brandon are engaged_!" Carolina shouted, still clinging onto CT. Maine shouted something that got lost in the yelling and North grabbed onto CT, kissing her on the cheek.

"_Finally_," he said, glaring at Brandon, who just smiled back at him.

"I proposed last night, but we didn't want to say anything to take away from your night," he said, nodding at Maine.

"That would have been a _welcome_ distraction," Maine muttered, and North leaned over to kiss him.

"When is the wedding who is your maid of honor oh my god are you going to be moving out I can't handle that right now I can't wait to help you plan everything you need a strapless dress you'll look _so amazing_!" Dakota said in a rush, looking like she was about to faint as she held CT's hand. CT laughed and shook her off, shaking her head.

"I won't be moving out right away, we still need to find a place together," she assured her. "Brandon's is too small for all my stuff."

"Sweetie, calm down and let her breathe," Lee said, pulling Dakota towards the diner. CT and Brandon followed, trying to talk Dakota off a ledge regarding her losing her best friend and roommate. Carolina leaned into York, taking his hand in hers.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm really happy for them. I just feel bad that I haven't really gotten to know Brandon all that well."

"We can change that."

"There's not much time…"

"They're getting married, not moving away," Wash said, rolling his eyes. "Good _god_. It's not like they're going to just disappear because they got engaged."

"You're right." Carolina smiled. "Sorry, let's go eat."

"Damn _straight_ I'm right." Wash walked off with North and Maine. York glared down at Carolina, huffing lightly.

"Looks like _you're_ gonna be the one to give it away," he laughed.

"Shut up!"

(b)

"_Oh my god_ I forgot about _wedding presents_!" North shrieked when they got back to their apartment. Maine closed the door behind them, dropping their bags near the door.

"Can I at least change first?"

"Okay _fine_." North plopped down on the couch where various boxes and bags were sitting. "York and Carolina must have brought them back for us. Which one do you want to start with?"

"_Changing_," Maine emphasized, disappearing into the bedroom. North pouted as he waited, and a couple of minutes later Maine re-emerged, wearing only clean boxers, stretching as he came over. North raised an eyebrow.

"That's undressing, not changing," he corrected.

"That was the idea," Maine replied, grabbing North by the wrist. He pulled him close and pressed his lips to North's neck, kissing the skin tenderly, pressing his other hand against the small of North's back.

"But…_presents_…"

"You can unwrap _this_," he whispered, shoving North's hand down over his waistband, hooking their thumbs under the elastic. North laughed and leaned into him, kissing him roughly.

"Only if we can make it quick."

"I don't think you understand how presents work, my love," Maine said, his voice husky. "You've got to take your time…" He kissed North's lower lip, sucking on it lightly. "…and make sure you don't rip the wrapping paper…" His other hand moved from North's lower back to in front of his waist, unbuttoning his jeans. "…and savor the moment."

"I guess you _do_ owe me wedding sex," North said, pushing down on the boxers. Maine laughed.

"What do you call what we did last night then?"

"Distraction-based fooling around," he replied, nipping at Maine's chin.

"Then we better do it _right_ this time." Maine slid his hands underneath North's thighs and lifted him up, carrying him towards the bedroom as North tore off his own shirt, dropping it in the hallway.

(b)

"You think they're opening gifts first, or having sex?" Carolina asked, sitting on the couch next to York, opening her laptop to check her email.

"Sex."

"You think so?"

"I doubt they did anything last night. Not with _that_ many people around. And after all the Sigma shit."

Carolina grinned. "Yeah, good point."

"Are you thinking about them having sex? That's gross."

"I was just making conversation!"

"Have we _really_ run out of things to talk about that we have to consider two of our best friends having sex? That's it, I'm calling off the move." York shook his head sadly. "Too bad, I was looking forward to it."

"_That's_ all it takes to get out of moving? God, I thought I was going to have to sleep with Simmons or something."

"Ooh, _Simmons_? I would have thought you'd pick Grif first."

Carolina wrinkled her nose. "_Seriously_?! At least Simmons isn't always shoving food in his face."

"You could have picked a dark horse and said Theta," York pointed out.

"Oh, you'd like _that_, wouldn't you?"

"She's too young. Super adorable, but way too young."

"She's twenty-four! Isn't that, like, perfect for someone your age?"

York scoffed. "_My age_? I'm twenty-nine, not _ancient_. Jesus."

"Whatever!"

"So, are you _really_ serious about moving with me?" York asked, suddenly serious. He leaned over and put his head on her shoulder. "For real."

"For real, York. I _want_ to move to Colorado with you."

"All in?"

"All in."

"You have no idea how happy that makes me," he sighed. "I really thought I was going to have to convince you."

"And how would _that_ have gone?" she asked, curious. She closed her laptop as he smiled, closing his eyes.

"A lot of chocolate…flowers…a _lot_ of sex…some other stuff that I hadn't thought of yet. I don't know. I would have found a way."

"I'm sure you would have."

"What made you agree so quickly?"

"Honestly?" She pressed her cheek against the top of his head. "If you hadn't asked, I would have asked you to move to New York. I've been thinking about it a lot since we got back together."

"_Really_?" He sat up. "You were going to ask me to move across the country?"

"Yeah."

"I _would_ have."

Carolina smiled. "Good to know."

"In a heartbeat. I would have quit my job. I don't care. You should have asked."

"I still have school to finish!"

"I don't _care_." York took her hands in his. "Lina, I want to spend the rest of my _life_ with you."

"Is this another proposal?" she asked, laughing.

"It is if _you_ want it to be," York replied, his tone deadly serious.

Carolina shook her head. "No, sweetie. I'm…not ready for that yet. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay." He kissed her on the tip of her nose. "Sorry, I shouldn't joke about that."

"I encouraged it."

York sighed, settling in next to her again. "Do you have any idea how much I love you, babe?"

"I have some idea," she said.

"I don't think you do."

"Well, maybe I'll never know."

"I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you make me," he said sleepily, his eyes closed, his head on her leg, using it as a pillow. She reached down to move some hair out of his face, tracing the lines of his scar.

"You're so perfect," she whispered.

"I'm flawed," he replied, frowning.

"I love your scar. I wouldn't change it for the world."

"It's _ugly_."

"It's unique and it's _you_."

"Fine, you win _this_ round."

"Good." She sighed and leaned back, pressing her head to the back of the couch.

"I'm just going to nap for a minute."

"Okay."

"Wake me up in a bit."

"Okay." She closed her eyes.

"You'll be here when I wake up?"

"Always."

"Love you."

"Love you too."

(b)

"What the fuck is _this_?"

North looked up from reading the instructions to their new blender, some crazy contraption that claimed it could do close to 50 different things that seemed improbable. Maine was holding a giant foam hand, spray-painted green, clenched in a fist. There was another one poking out of the box.

"What does the card say?"

Maine held onto the hand as he dug in the box, finally finding a small note. "'_Dear Hulk. Don't let Cap make you the bitch. Congratulations_. _From Church._'" He glared down at the hands. "Oh, you've got to be fucking _kidding_ me."

"That is _amazing_."

"Oh, there's something else in here." Maine kept digging and pulled out a Captain America-branded shield. It looked like a children's toy, to match the Hulk hands. "This must be for _you_."

North stood up and came over, taking the shield from him, turning it over in his hands. "Oh my god, remind me to send him a photo with the thank-you card." He slipped it over his hand and brandished it, striking a pose. "Do I look awesome?"

"You look ridiculous."

"Come on, put on the hands!"

"No."

"If you do, we can do some role playing…"

"_No_."

North pouted. "You're no fun."

"Come on, let's get back to the presents."

"Hulk smash! Hulk no open presents! Hulk have sex with Cap!"

"_Stop that_!"

**Part 72**

"I wish you could stay longer," York frowned, hugging Theta. She laughed and hugged him back, patting his arms.

"I do too, but I want to spend Christmas with _my_ family," she said.

"What, no hugs for us?" Simmons complained as Grif drank from a to-go coffee cup.

Carolina rolled her eyes and went over to them, hugging him first, and then Grif, who loudly protested before patting her on the back during their hug. "There, happy now?"

"We'll see you when you get back after New Year's, right?" Grif said.

"Yeah. I should be back on the second. I need to get back to working on my project, I've got a meeting on the twentieth with my advisor and I don't really have anything to show yet."

"Sounds good."

"Have a safe flight," York said, fist-bumping Grif. Simmons nodded and gestured for Theta to follow them, and the three of them headed for the security gates, waving. Carolina leaned into York and he squeezed her hand.

"Want to get some lunch?"

"Sure."

(b)

"So what are we doing for Christmas?" Carolina asked around a mouthful of noodles. They'd found a Chinese place and she was halfway through an order of ramen before she'd realized they hadn't talked about Christmas plans yet. It was a week away.

York shrugged. "To be honest, I don't know. I'm still kind of emotionally worn out from the wedding and I haven't had time to plan anything."

"I haven't even gotten you a present yet. Is there anything you want?"

He shook his head. "Just having you here is enough. I can't think of anything else in the whole world that I would want more."

Carolina laughed. "A new watch? Yours is still broken, isn't it?"

"It just needs a new battery. And a new band. Eh." York waved his hand. "Seriously, I don't need anything. I like the idea of keeping it low-key this year. We can save all the hoopla for next Christmas when we're living together. We can even get a _tree_!"

"We can get a tree _this_ year!" Carolina argued.

"Technicality. Either way, spending it together is enough for me."

"If you say so. I'm still going to find a gift for you, though."

"Fine by me." York reached over with his chopsticks and snagged a pile of her noodles, shoving them into his mouth.

"Hey!"

"You were distracted, fair game," he said, words muffled. She laughed and continued eating, nudging his foot with hers underneath the table.

(b)

"Merry Christmas!" North shouted, opening the door to Dakota and CT's apartment. He and Maine came inside, each carrying a few bags full of boxes wrapped in colorful paper, and found everyone sitting around the kitchen, drinking coffee and eating green- and red-frosted donuts. CT was showing everyone something in her already-dreaded-by-everyone-else wedding binder, and Carolina and Dakota were arguing over something as the guys stood by, quietly drinking their coffee.

"She can't use silver, North and _Maine_ already did!"

"Well, I'm not wearing a _brown dress_!"

"What about blue, or gold?"

"Ew, gold?" Dakota wrinkled her nose. "Oh, maybe red?"

"Oh, I like red, that could be really—"

"Isn't this supposed to be _my_ wedding?" CT finally cut in. "Brandon, what do _you_ think?"

"I like red," he said quickly. "_Or_ brown."

"You're no help."

"I'm _trying_!"

"Oh, hey!" Wash said, waving at North and Maine. "You made it! Ooh, and you brought _presents_!"

Maine piled them under the tree Dakota and CT had decorated and smiled. "What are we talking about over here?" he asked, leaning over to look at the binder as CT stood up, irritated.

"Colors," she replied, going into the kitchen to grab two more coffee mugs. "And Brandon doesn't even _care_."

"Sweetie, we've been engaged less than _two weeks_, we have _time_—"

"No no, don't fight her on this," York advised. "Just pick a color."

"I _like_ red," Brandon said, frowning. "Can't we keep it simple? Red and black, how about that?"

"That sounds like a funeral," CT complained.

"Then red and…silver. Or gold."

She perked up slightly. "I like gold. But only if it's a really _pretty_ gold, and not some, like…ugly yellow."

"We'll make sure it's pretty." Brandon came over and kissed her. North laughed and picked up Brandon's coffee mug, sipping it.

"Come on, let's open presents now that everyone's here!" York said, heading over to the tree to distribute presents. Everyone else stopped arguing over colors and came over, sitting in a semi-circle on the floor. York started handing out presents to Carolina, who was next to him, and they passed them down the line until everyone had a few presents in front of them.

"Do we want to do this in order, or—"

York was quickly drowned out by the tearing of paper and the excited shouts of everyone else. Wash was first to open his gift from North and Maine, a small photo album with their wedding date emblazoned on the front. "Aw, you guys used Christmas as an excuse to give us wedding pictures?" he complained. "_Weak_."

"Look inside, asshole," Maine lectured, and Wash flipped it open. A small card fell out and he picked it up, his eyes widening.

"Holy _shit_, a $200 gift card for Best Buy!" He held it up proudly, grinning as the others started digging through their gifts, looking for the identical boxes. A flurry of torn wrapping paper followed and everyone started shouting.

"I got one for Best Buy too!" York said. Brandon waved his own Best Buy card in the air, already discussing with Wash what games he was going to buy.

Maine nodded. "You said you needed a new headset for playing online, right? I didn't know which one you wanted, hence the gift card."

"You fucking _rule_!"

"A gift certificate for _Coach_?!" Dakota shrieked, hugging the envelope like it was magical.

"Mine too!" CT exclaimed. Lee grinned, holding her gift card from a local clothing store she loved.

Carolina's was a gift card for a fancy supply store in New York that catered to artists and architects. She had told Maine about it one time, complaining that she was too poor to even go in there. Smiling at Maine, he nodded at her with an equally large smile.

North was practically bouncing up and down, holding up a new paintball gun that York, Wash, and Carolina had all pooled together to buy. He'd been getting into the sport lately and he aimed the gun around the room at the ceiling, checking out the scope. "Oh my _god_, this is top of the line!" he cried out, pulling the trigger. Luckily it wasn't loaded, but Maine still flinched.

"Put that away," he ordered. North lowered it slowly, but was still grinning. Maine opened the box that said it was from Carolina and smiled as he lifted out a large hardbound book. Reading the cover, he saw that it was a collection of art from his favorite artist. "Wow, this is great!"

"Hope you like it," she said.

"I love it. Thank you," he said. She grinned and nodded at him.

The rest of the presents were opened and everyone started showing them off, talking excitedly as they moved back towards the kitchen for snacks. York found a smaller box under the tree with his name on it and frowned, calling over to Carolina, who came back over.

"Who is this from?"

Carolina laughed. "Oh, that's for you. It must have gotten buried under everything else."

He opened the box and pulled out a watch box, flipping it open to reveal a coal-colored chronograph watch on a black cloth band. "Holy _shit_."

"It's made for hiking," she said quietly, taking the box from him to pull the watch out. He watched her strap it around his wrist and he swung his arm around, testing the weight. "It's supposed to be able to withstand diving and getting hit with rocks, or something. I don't know, I only read up on it enough to know it's what a lot outdoors enthusiasts recommend."

"I _love_ it," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Are you insinuating that we're going to be hiking a lot?"

"I hope so, if we're going to be that close to the mountains," she grinned.

"Come on guys, CT made cookies!" Brandon called out. They nodded and joined hands, walking over to the others. Wash handed them each a cookie and they toasted to the group, tapping their cookies together, showering the counter with sugary crumbs.

(b)

Later that night, Carolina and York were snuggling on the couch, watching a movie that Brandon had given them for Christmas, some romantic comedy that he and CT loved. About halfway through the movie, York jumped up and paused it, getting to his feet. Carolina sat up, annoyed and sleepy.

"What the hell?"

"I totally forgot to give you your gift!" he said, slapping his forehead. "Be right back."

He ran off towards his bedroom and she remained on the couch, rolling her eyes as she stretched her legs out over the small table in front of her. He came back a minute later with a CD jewel case in his hand and his laptop in the other.

"What's that?" she asked as he set the laptop on the table, popping open the CD tray as it booted up.

"Your gift! I made you a mix CD."

"Are you _kidding_?"

York frowned. "I thought it'd be romantic!"

"I bought you a really nice watch, and you made me a mix CD."

"I _said_ I didn't want anything!"

She rolled her eyes as he handed her the jewel case so she could read the track listing. The first song that started playing sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it, reading the list. "One Republic?"

"Yeah, it's called 'Feel Again.'" York reached down and took her hand and pulled her to her feet, holding her in his arms. "It makes me think of you."

The song played as they slow-danced together. It eventually transitioned into a song she also didn't recognize, but at least could name the band. "Do you _seriously_ listen to the Barenaked Ladies?"

York laughed. "Are you fucking _kidding_ me? They're a Canadian treasure! This one is called 'Gonna Walk.' What, do you not like them?"

She leaned against his chest, laughing. "No, I guess I do, I just never listen to them."

"We're gonna change that."

(b)

"Why can't we just stay in tonight?" York groused, settling the bowtie around his neck. He started working at the knot as Carolina popped her head out of the bathroom, pulling her hair up into a loose bun.

"Because I promised CT, and this is the first party she and Brandon are hosting, and I don't want to piss her off," she rattled off once again. She'd had to repeat the same reasons a few times already in an attempt to convince York to come.

"_I_ can just stay here and _you_ can go—"

"_No_. I already told you, we're going to make up for the fucking _disaster_ that happened _last_ year and that's final." She ducked back into the bathroom. "Hurry up, I'm almost done."

"I'm good, just need to tie this goddamn thing."

"It can't be _that_ hard."

"Have _you_ ever tied a goddamn bowtie? These things are Satan's design," he bitched, failing at it again. "Why can't I just wear a _tie_? I have like twenty of them."

"Because you'll look fabulous in a bowtie and it matches my dress." She came out of the bathroom in a shiny red strapless dress with the bottom bunched up, looking like a cupcake. A silver belt was fastened around her waist and helped set off her red hair, which matched the dress material. Thin silver hoop earrings dangled from her ears and she smiled, shaking her head a little to test the bun she'd pinned up.

"You look _incredible_," York said, his breath catching a little.

"And you're going to look just as good in a minute," she replied, reaching up to mess with the bowtie. "I watched a video on how to do this…hang on…"

A minute later he was staring at himself in the mirror, the bright red bowtie tied properly around his collar. His shirt was white and the silver streaks in the red material shone under the room lights. Carolina picked up his black suit jacket from the bed and helped him into it, brushing off his shoulders.

"See? Even more handsome," she said, kissing his cheek. He frowned.

"Hang on, it's missing something." He went over to his dresser and dug through the bottom drawer, searching for something as she watched from the doorway. Finally he located it and came back over to the bathroom mirror, settling a newsboy cap on his head, tilting it slightly.

"Oh my _god_."

He looked over at Carolina, who had her hands over her mouth, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. "What?! I think it's _jaunty_."

"Jaunty? Where did you learn _that_ word?"

York grinned. "I thought girls swooned over shit like this."

"_Swoon_?"

"Pfft, whatever. Fine." York took the cap off and set it on the counter. "Hang on, you're missing _one_ thing."

"What?"

He ran into the bedroom and started digging in the bottom drawer of his dresser again, unearthing a small box. Motioning for her to come over, he waited until she was sitting on the edge of the bed before dropping to one knee, holding up the box. Carolina's mouth dropped open and her hands started shaking as she reached out towards it.

York smiled and snapped it open, revealing a delicate silver bracelet with connected charms, nestled in red velvet. "Happy New Year, babe," he said, reaching into the box to pull out the bracelet, unclipping the end so he could wrap it around her wrist, her eyes wide.

"Oh my _god_, this is so beautiful," she whispered, looking at the little charms. "What are all these?"

"Some of them are there to represent our friends, and some are there to remind you of me," he said, pointing at the small silver kitten dangling near her palm as he sat next to her on the bed. "I bet you can guess that one."

"Aww, is that for Wash?" she said, laughing.

"Yup. And these?" He pointed to a small set of wedding bells next to one that looked like gold and silver ring entwined.

"Oh, North and Maine?"

"Yeah. Dakota and Lee are the little cocktail charms, CT is the flower, and Brandon is the music note. I couldn't think of anything else for them," he said, his forehead creased in thought. "I also put a couple others on there that I wasn't sure if you'd want, but this one is Theta—" He pointed to a small skateboard, "the glasses and pizza are Simmons and Grif, respectively," he said, pointing, "—and these are for Church and Caboose, obviously." He pointed to a little silver square church hanging next to a train car. "You can take off the Church one if you want, but I thought…well, you're still friends, and I know how much you care about Caboose."

"That's really thoughtful," she said, nodding. "Thank you. Oh, my god, is that for our beach trip?" she asked, noticing a little seashell.

"Yeah! From when Maine beat me down at volleyball." York shook his fist angrily. "And the little birthday cake is for Dakota's birthday party, with that stupid spin the bottle game—remember, when everyone freaked out? The little smiley face is for the first time we kissed." His cheeks went rosy at the memory. "I still can't believe you saw _me_ naked first."

"Oh _yeah_…the towel incident." Carolina laughed, remembering how she'd fainted in the kitchen. "Wow, I'd forgotten about that. Hey, what's the little heart for?"

"Valentine's Day."

"Oh, of course." _The first time you said I love you_.

"These little double hearts are for when we got back together," he said, gently touching the charm. "That's actually when I bought the bracelet. I couldn't decide when to give it to you, but when I saw you just now, looking so amazing, I couldn't wait any longer."

"This is really full," she said with a laugh. "I may take a few off anyway so I can wear it more often. Thank you _so much_, sweetie." She leaned over and grabbed him by the collar, kissing him passionately.

"You're gonna mess up my bowtie!" York said, trying to push her away.

"We can fix it." She kissed his jaw, starting to untie it.

"_Hey_!"

(b)

By the time they got to Dakota and CT's apartment, the party was in full swing. They walked inside, York still trying to pat his hair down into place, and Carolina set her purse near the pile of coats and other purses near the door. CT came running out of the living room to crash into her, hugging her tightly.

"You made it! _Jesus_, York, learn to tie a bowtie _properly_," she lectured, shaking her head. York just glared down at Carolina, who blushed. "Anyway, come on, I want you to meet Brandon's friends!" She dragged Carolina away as York wandered over to the kitchen to join Wash and Dakota, who were busy stirring some sort of concoction of liquor in a giant glass bowl.

"What the hell is _that_?" he asked, frowning.

"Jungle Juice!" Dakota proudly proclaimed. "You mix a bunch of shit together and it gets you drunk _really fast_."

"I wouldn't drink that," Lee warned, coming into the kitchen. "I've seen into the future…and it only holds terrible things for those who drink Dakota's Jungle Juice."

"Just because you felt bad that _one time_—"

"_Felt bad_? I was vomiting for _hours_—"

"I didn't put in _any_ Schnapps this time—"

York left the kitchen quickly, walking over to Maine and North, who were whispering about something near the fireplace. They straightened as he approached, and North smiled at him. "What's up, guys?" York asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," North replied. Maine just smirked.

"Okay, _what_?"

"Did you have sex before coming over?" North asked.

York sighed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Dude, your bowtie is backwards."

"How is that even _possible_?" York scrabbled to fix the bowtie and Maine laughed, reaching out to help him. He waited as he untied and retied it, patting his chest when he was done. York sighed.

"So, what did we miss? Sorry we got here late, we, uh…" He gestured to the bowtie and North nodded.

"Nothing really, just CT freaking out about making sure the place was tidy enough for Brandon's friends." He pointed to where Brandon was standing with a few guys who were all dressed up, a cute blonde girl on the arm of one of them, talking to CT and Carolina. "We haven't been introduced yet, but I don't think they're really the type to mingle at parties, so I wouldn't worry if you don't get to meet them."

"Sounds good." York fidgeted, playing with the cuffs of his shirt. "So, how are you guys? Haven't seen you since Christmas."

"We're fine," Maine replied with a smile. "Still recovering from the wedding, honestly. My parents actually called to see how it went. Apparently Sigma told them it went 'swimmingly well,' to use his phrase."

"At least he didn't rat you out?" York offered.

"I suppose." Maine looked upset, but he didn't want to press the issue. North stroked Maine's arm and shrugged.

"So anyway, how are you two? Oh, what did you get Carolina for Christmas? I didn't see her open a gift."

"I made her a mix CD," York said with a laugh. "I gave it to her that night."

"A mix CD?" Maine snorted. "Really?"

"Hey, it was _romantic_!"

"Whatever you say…"

"I _also_ gave her a charm bracelet, you _ass_, except I just gave it to her tonight. I was going to wait until we—" York bit his tongue.

"Until you what?" North prodded.

"Uh, until she flew home. But I decided to give it to her early so she could show it off."

"Mmmhmm." North hummed a little too long, the corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk to rival the one Maine had earlier.

"Shut up," York muttered, walking away to go find someone else who wouldn't make fun of him.

(b)

Lee had been right about the Jungle Juice.

Wash couldn't feel his face.

He stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, poking at his cheeks, riding on a high he hadn't felt in a really long time. He alternated between smiling and frowning, trying to stimulate feeling in his facial muscles, but nothing was working.

A knock on the door interrupted his poking. "Is someone in there?" a female voice asked.

"Yeah, hang on." Wash quickly rinsed off his hands and dried them on a towel, unlocking the door. He opened it to see a girl standing there with an exasperated look.

"Oh my _god_, what were you _doing_ in there?" she asked. "I swear I saw you go in there like, ten minutes ago."

"Sorry. I, uh…I can't feel my face," Wash admitted.

"Shit. Were you drinking that crap from the giant bowl?" she asked, shaking her head. "I _knew_ that stuff was trouble. I could smell it across the room."

"Yeah, Dakota made it. I drank a few glasses…and now I don't feel so good." Wash pressed his hand to his stomach, suppressing a hiccup.

"Okay, let's get you over to a chair." The girl grabbed his arm at the elbow and guided him over to a nearby chair, sitting him down. "I'm gonna get you some water. Don't move."

"Sure," Wash mumbled, watching her walk away. At least, he _thought_ he was watching her. For all he knew, she really _was_ just a fairy in a green dress and a pink ribbon in her hair. Was she even _real_?

_Am _I_ even real_? _What _is_ reality_?

"Whoa, you're _really_ gone," she said, having appeared magically in front of him again. "You just said that out loud, do you realize that?"

Wash frowned. "Are you a fairy?" he asked, taking the water from her.

She burst out laughing. "Oh my god, _no_. I swear too much to be a goddamned fairy."

"Oh. Okay."

"My name's Georgia," she said, patting his knee.

"Wash."

"What?" She glanced down at her dress. "Wash what? Shit, did I spill on my dress? Dammit, _this_ is why I don't dress up—"

"No, my _name_ is _Wash_," he said, shaking his head slowly. "Uh…well, it's David, but call me Wash."

"_Ohh_." Georgia smiled. "Gotcha. Nice to meet you, Wash."

"You too, Georgia." The room was beginning to spin and he watched her frown. "What's wrong?"

"You just tilted _really far_ to the right," she said. "I think you need to lie down. Do you think anyone will mind if you use one of the beds?"

Wash didn't know what to say, having lost the ability to form words. He could feel his mouth opening and closing, but his tongue had seemingly gone numb.

"Yeah, okay, I'm getting you to bed. Come on, arm around my shoulders." He managed to follow her instructions and limped towards a bedroom, feeling like he was about to get sick. _Shit, that stuff hit me fast._

"It sure did," Georgia agreed, and he blinked, confused. He must have talked out loud again.

"Thanks," he said as she sat him down on the bed, helping angle his legs up on top of the covers. She grabbed a smaller blanket from the foot of the bed and draped it over him, moving to turn off the lights, the hallway lights streaming in through the open door.

"Want me to stay?" she asked.

"Sure," he mumbled, closing his eyes. Even the _darkness_ was spinning, and he opened them again, seeing that she was still there, kneeling next to the bed, her hands in her lap. "Thanks."

"You already thanked me."

"Oh." Wash closed his eyes again, falling asleep.

(b)

"Hey, did anyone see where Wash went?" Carolina asked, glancing around.

"I think he's lying down," Lee replied, taking a glass of champagne from Brandon as he offered people glasses from a tray. "I _told_ him not to drink that shit."

"It's not my fault!" Dakota cried, staring down into her glass.

"_Promise_ me you won't make that stuff _ever again_."

"_Fine_…"

"Okay everyone, it's only a couple minutes to midnight!" CT called out, and a small cheer rippled throughout the crowd. "Now, I want _no fighting_," she said, glaring at York, who scowled back, "no excessive screaming because our neighbors _will_ report us, and lots of drinking!"

North was inspecting the charms on Carolina's bracelet, pointing them out to Maine. "Look, we're the little wedding bells! And the rings!"

Maine grinned. "That's cute."

"What's the smiley face for?"

Carolina told him the story of when they'd first kissed and he laughed, shaking his head. "That's awesome."

"Awesome _now_, but it was embarrassing _then_," York whined. "She saw me naked!"

"That's your own fault."

"Shut up."

"Thirty seconds!" Brandon shouted. Everyone moved to gather around the television where CT had tuned it to a countdown on one of the national news stations. They all watched as the timer hit ten, and started counting along when it hit ten.

"Two…one…_Happy New Year_!" A loud cheer roared throughout the room and Carolina and York kissed slowly, wrapping their arms around each other, the charms on her bracelet dancing against his back.

"Happy New Year, babe," he whispered, nudging her nose with his.

"To a new start," she whispered back. They kissed again and held each other tightly, surrounded by the cheers and laughter of their friends.

(b)

Wash opened his eyes, groaning as sunlight flooded his vision, rolling over. He realized the pillow he was hugging wasn't his own and that he was still fully dressed a moment later, and he sat up, confused.

"Good morning, sunshine," CT said, standing at the foot of the bed. She was wearing pajamas and her arms were crossed over her chest. He saw Brandon standing near the window, apparently having been the one to open the curtains to let in the evil daylight.

"Where am I?" he croaked, coughing a second later. _God_, his throat was dry. What the hell did he _do_ last night? He remembered drinking some of Dakota's disgusting Jungle Juice, but the rest of the night was a blur. Except for…_shit, what was her name_…

"You're in my _bed_, and we had to sleep on the _floor_," CT grumbled, swatting at his foot. "Get up and go home."

"Where's…" Wash's brain was working overtime, trying to remember— "Georgia. Where's Georgia?"

"_Who_?" CT said, frowning.

"The girl…uh, she took care of me…green dress?"

"Is that one of your friends?" she asked Brandon, who shook his head.

"I don't think I've heard that name before. Green dress?" He thought for a second. "Hmm, I don't remember if I saw anyone in a green dress…"

"I didn't _imagine_ her, she was here!" Wash argued, sitting up. "Was she a friend of Dakota's?"

"Uh, you can ask her, but she's gone. She and Lee went out for breakfast an hour ago. Everyone else is gone. It's nearly eleven."

Wash's eyes widened as he looked at the clock. "_What_?! Shit, I need to get home and feed Epsilon!"

"Yeah, go do that so I can take a nap in my _bed_," CT said, shoving him off the bed.

He stumbled towards the door, heading for the front door. He found his coat on the floor, the only one left, and shoved his hands in the pockets, searching for his keys. Finally locating them, he pulled them out and found a pink ribbon tied around his cat keychain with a little smiley face scrawled on the end in pen.

"What happened to Georgia?!" he cried.

* * *

**A/N:****Once I realized I *had* to incorporate the Georgia joke, I spent waaaaaaay too much time setting that up.**

**Does anyone want her to be a recurring character?...**

**In other news, this thing has passed 300 pages in my Word doc. Wow.**


	43. Chapter 43

**Part 73**

"Come on, help me take the tree down."

"_No_!"

"It's nearly the seventh of _January_. It's time to put it away."

"_No_! Not until Carolina celebrates with us!"

"I _told_ you, she's _busy_." Church pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed.

"Can I call her?"

"_No_."

Caboose pouted until Church finally relented and watched as he dialed Carolina's number, waiting patiently as it rang. Apparently she answered, and Caboose put her on speakerphone, grinning.

"Hello, Carolina! How are you?"

"Doing pretty well, how about yourself?" her voice answered, echoing in the apartment.

"I'm great! Except I'm sad that we haven't celebrated Christmas yet."

"I'm sorry, Caboose, I've just been really busy, but—"

"That's what _I_ told him," Church said loudly, and Caboose stuck his tongue out at him.

"Oh, hey Church! As I was saying, _but_, I actually have some free time tonight. Do you guys want to come over here, or I can bring gifts to you?"

"Come over!" Caboose cheered, clapping his hands. Freckles woke up from his nap in the corner at the sound and barked a few times, prompting Church to glare at Caboose.

"Was that Freckles?" Carolina asked.

"No, it was some _other_ dog that Caboose adopted without asking," Church replied.

"What other dog?" Caboose said, looking confused.

"Never mind. Okay, I can make us dinner tonight and we can hang out for a bit, is that okay?" Church said.

"Sounds great. I'll be there around eight," Carolina replied. "See you guys later!"

"Bye!" Caboose shouted, hanging up the phone. "See, that wasn't very hard," he said to Church, who just rolled his eyes.

(b)

"You're going over to Church's tonight?" Simmons asked.

Carolina nodded, setting her phone on the counter. "Yeah, I have gifts for them, I just haven't gotten around to seeing them yet. Why?"

He shrugged, looking down at his salad. "I dunno, it just seems weird that you're still talking to him."

"Well, I like spending time with Caboose, and he and Church are sort of a package deal, considering they're brothers and, you know, live together."

"Yeah, I know. But you're dating _York_."

"Yeah?"

"I mean…doesn't he…I dunno, forbid you to see Church or something?"

"If he did that, then he'd have to forbid me to see Wash, which would be ridiculous. We're grown-ups, Simmons. We can deal with each other's exes."

"Okay, but to be fair, Wash isn't the same as Church."

Carolina sighed and took a bite of her sandwich. "What are you trying to say?" she asked, her mouth full.

"I just don't like Church, sorry. He seems like a jerk."

"He's…_brash_, most of the time, and sure, he usually doesn't get on peoples' good sides, but he's really a sweet guy once you get to know him," Carolina said.

"If you say so."

"Does it really bother you that we still hang out?"

"I know it _shouldn't_, but it _does_," Simmons said with a frown. "But I'm just your roommate, so you don't have to listen to me. I just think you should know that Grif and I agree that Church seems like he's trouble."

"Duly noted." Carolina smiled and continued eating.

"So anyway, how _are _you and York? You've been pretty busy since you got back."

"We're great." She thought for a moment, then decided it was probably safe to say something. "Actually, you know what? There's something I need to talk to you and Grif about, it's pretty important."

"Do you want me to go wake him up?" Simmons jerked a thumb towards the bedrooms. "He's passed out in my room until we locate the mystery smell in his."

"Oh god, is that why the hallway smells like—"

"Old cheese, yes. I've torn apart his room but haven't found the source yet." Simmons grimaced. "Seriously, you'd think he'd find it, considering he never leaves leftovers for longer than a freakin' day."

"That's horrifying. I thought maybe I was imagining it or something."

"Nope."

She wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, actually, go wake him up. I'd rather tell you guys now than wait."

Simmons slid off the stool and padded over to his bedroom, shoving open the door as she waited, continuing to work on her sandwich. She heard yelling a moment later and Simmons came out of the room, resuming his seat at the counter to continue eating his salad, a strange look on his face.

"He'll be out in a few minutes," he said. She stayed silent as they ate, and eventually Grif came out of Simmons' room, wearing boxers and a faded orange t-shirt.

"What do you want? I was asleep," he yawned, scratching his stomach.

"You're _usually_ asleep," Simmons said, shoving the salad his way. Grif shook his head vehemently.

"_Seriously_?" He reached over and grabbed the remained of Carolina's sandwich, ignoring her muttered 'fuck you' under her breath.

"So, what did you want to tell us?" Simmons asked, side-eyeing Grif as he took back his salad.

Carolina stood up, picking up her now-empty plate to rinse in the sink. "Okay, well, you know I'm back with York, obviously."

"Duh," Grif replied.

"Well, here's the thing—he asked me to move to Colorado with him. And…I said yes."

Nobody said anything and she turned from the sink to look at Grif and Simmons, who were just staring at her as though she'd said nothing. "Okay," Simmons finally said, catching her look. "And?"

"And…well…I don't know, I thought you'd have a _little_ bit more of a reaction, I guess?"

Grif shrugged. "We knew you weren't going to be living with us _forever_. I guess we'll have to start looking for another roommate, though. _That_ sucks."

"Really?" Carolina's face fell. "_That's_ what you're upset about, having to find another roommate?"

"What do you _want_ us to say?" Simmons said, standing up. He came around the counter and hugged her. "Of course we'll miss you, we love having you here. But, you know, we kinda figured you'd move on with your life at _some_ point."

She sniffled, hugging him back. "I'm gonna miss living with you guys."

"Ugh, _emotions_." Grif rolled his eyes, but he walked over and hugged her from behind, patting her hand that was on Simmons' back. "There, that make you feel better?"

Carolina nodded. "A little bit."

"Do you know when you're moving out?" Simmons asked, going back over to his food.

"Not yet. He just asked me last month, and his work hasn't given him any solid information yet." She wiped her eyes, reaching into the sink to pick up her plate, putting it in the dishwasher. "I'll let you guys know as soon as we find out, though."

"Sounds good." Grif popped the rest of the sandwich into his mouth, chewing slowly. "I'm gonna go back to sleep now, is everyone okay with that?"

Simmons shrugged. "Just stop sleeping naked in my bed," he lectured.

"Fat chance." Grif wandered off and closed the bedroom door behind him, leaving Simmons to glare after him, looking disgusted.

(b)

Trying and nearly failing to juggle her purse along with the two large gift-wrapped boxes in her arms, Carolina managed to knock on the door, hearing barking a moment later. The door swung open to reveal Caboose holding Freckles, who was squirming to be let go as he barked happily.

"Merry Christmas!" Caboose shouted, nearly dropping Freckles as he lunged towards Carolina. They hugged as she dropped the boxes and her purse and she laughed, feeling Freckles jumping up against her leg, vying for attention.

"Merry Christmas! And hello, Freckles!" Carolina bent down and scratched behind his ears, listening to him bark happily.

"Someone shut that damn dog up for just _five minutes_," Church shouted from the kitchen. Caboose swept down and picked Freckles up as Carolina closed the door, carefully kicking her stuff out of the way. She went over to the kitchen and walked up behind Church, who was stirring something on the stove, hugging him from behind.

"Merry Christmas," she said, grinning. He half-turned his head and smiled at her.

"You too," he replied. "Hang on, almost done with the sauce. Caboose requested spaghetti."

"It's the most fun to eat!" Caboose called out from the living room.

"It sure is," Carolina agreed, going over to pick up the presents from the floor. "Do we want to do presents before or after dinner?"

"Before!" Caboose shouted at the same time Church yelled "After, dipshit," and Carolina just laughed, setting the presents underneath their tree. Most of the ornaments were gone, but a few remained, and she frowned.

"Why is the tree so bare?" she asked.

Caboose pouted. "Because Church wanted to take it down but I said 'not until Carolina comes over!' And then he was all 'then I'm gonna take off the ornaments' and we fought but I won and the tree stayed up, and he let me keep a few ornaments on there so it wouldn't look so sad."

She looked over at Church, who looked guilty. "Is that true?"

"You're _supposed_ to take it down after New Year's!" he argued.

"But you have to keep it up if you still have presents to open!" She glanced underneath and saw two other boxes. Reading the tags, she saw that they were both for her. "See? There's still presents under here!"

Church rolled his eyes as he set a pan of sauce on a potholder on the table. "Oh my_ god_, I'm _sorry_ I almost _ruined Christmas_," he said drolly. "Come on, let's eat so you can stop complaining. The _both_ of you."

Carolina laughed and went over to help him set out three plates and sets of silverware. Freckles started spinning in a small circle near Church's chair and finally settled down, resting his head on his front paws, closing his eyes as Church sat down, his foot nudging against Freckles' side. She smiled and sat down next to Church, across from Caboose, like usual.

"I see _someone_ doesn't hate the dog as much as he _says_ he does," she observed, and watched as Church turned as red as the spaghetti sauce he was ladling over his noodles.

"Church says Freckles is annoying but he likes to sleep in Church's bed and he never sleeps in the dog bed I got him," Caboose complained, spinning some noodles around his fork.

"I kind of got used to it and stopped trying to kick him out," Church explained. Carolina nodded, grinning.

"I'm sure that's it."

"Shut up."

"All right, I'll drop it. But I think it's adorable."

"_Shut up_."

"Do you take him on walks too?"

"Carolina, I swear to _god_—"

"How was California?" Caboose asked, not wanting to see them fight. She turned her attention to him and smiled, mixing her noodles together with the sauce.

"It was great! The wedding was amazing and the reception was really nice, except for one guest who was a giant pain in the ass, but whatever."

"What happened?" Church asked.

"Maine's brother happened." She frowned and took a bite of food. After she swallowed, she shrugged. "He left, not until after he tried to ruin everything, but it was fine. Maine and North worked out some stuff and they seem fine."

"Oh, that reminds me—did they say anything about their gift from me?"

Carolina frowned. "You sent them a gift? They didn't say anything to me about it. What was it?"

"Oh god, it was _amazing_. Hang on." Church pushed out his chair and went into the kitchen, taking something off the fridge. He came back and handed her a thank you note with a photograph. Maine was wearing gigantic Hulk hands, looking like he wanted to destroy the camera, and North was snuggling up next to him, brandishing a Captain America shield. He had his hair slicked back and was grinning like an idiot, wearing a blue shirt to complete the look.

"You're _kidding_ me." She looked up at Church, who was laughing. "I'm surprised Maine didn't fly out here to _kill_ you."

"Nah, but read the note."

Carolina opened the note and started reading. "Thank you for the amazing gifts. Don't worry, Cap won't make Hulk suffer too much, winky face." She shuddered . "_That_ is a mental image I didn't need."

"I know, right?" Church took the card and photo back and went over to the fridge, sticking them back under a magnet. "I like that North guy, he has a great sense of humor."

"He really does."

"_Okay presents now_?" Caboose urged. They looked over at him to see his plate completely empty and a thin coat of sauce on his upper lip.

"Wipe your mouth and then we can do presents," Church lectured. Caboose swiped at his face with a napkin as he practically fell out of the chair, stumbling over to the tree. Carolina and Church abandoned their food and went over to join him, sitting next to each other on the floor.

Caboose handed Church the present Carolina had brought for him and took his own, then handed her two large boxes and one small one. She raised an eyebrow at Church, who just shrugged.

"Technically the big ones are from both of us," he explained. "The small one is just from me."

"Oh, okay."

"Church, you can go first!" Caboose announced, nearly vibrating with excitement. He smiled and opened his gift from Carolina, pulling out an Iron Man t-shirt and matching boxers.

"…What."

"I felt bad that you weren't part of the group," she explained with a grin. "Now you can pretend you're in the Avengers too."

"My _god_."

"Go put them on!" Caboose said, clapping his hands together happily. Church turned bright red as he shoved the clothes back in the box.

"Open your gift, dumbass."

Caboose ripped the wrapping paper off the box and opened the lid, gasping. Inside was the new first-person shooter game he'd been wanting and bothering Church to buy him. Carolina had asked Church what to buy him, so at least she could be sure it was the right one.

"Oh man _thank you so much_!" Caboose shouted, tackling Carolina with a hug. She laughed and managed not to get crushed.

"You're very welcome!"

"I can't wait to play this with Tucker!" he cried, ripping the plastic off so he could start reading the booklet.

"Your turn," Church told her, nudging her knee.

"Oh! Right, sorry." She started with the bigger of the two large boxes, tearing off the wrapping paper. Opening it, she found a fancy pair of knee-high boots nestled inside. "Wow, these are gorgeous!"

"You like them?" Church looked sheepish. "Honestly, I didn't know what to get you, so I just went in a store and asked the saleswoman to pick something. If you don't want them, you can return them. There's a gift receipt in the bottom."

She pulled one out to inspect it, checking the size. "I think these should fit. They're really great, Church. Thank you so much!"

"Open the other one!" Caboose chimed in. She set the boot back inside the box and un-wrapped the other one, revealing a turquoise sweater with a deep V-neck and lace trim on the cuffs. "Oh, _wow_, this is so pretty!"

"I picked it because it was soft!"

"Thank you, Caboose, I love it." She stroked the material, realizing it was cashmere. "This _is_ really soft. I can't wait to wear it."

"So we did well?" Caboose asked with a smile.

"You guys did _great_. Thank you both so much!"

Caboose went over to the television to start up his new game as she carefully repacked the boxes, setting them aside. Church handed her the smaller one with a smile.

"Forgot one."

"Oh, yeah. Okay." She took the box and un-wrapped it, shaking it a little as she did so, watching his face for clues. She opened the box and found a silver picture frame with a photo of her, Church and Caboose posing for the picture. They were sitting on either side of her on their couch and the three of them were smiling.

"That was back when we got lunch together that first time we all hung out," he reminded her. "Remember, when Caboose ate too much and got sick, and we had to watch that shitty action movie to make him feel better?"

"Yeah, and he said the only thing that would help was to get a picture of the three of us. I remember." She touched the glass covering the photo, smiling. "This is really sweet."

"I just figured you might like a picture of Caboose to remind you that no matter what idiots you have to deal with, there's always someone worse." Church scratched the back of his neck.

"You should be nicer to him," Carolina said. "You're lucky to have a brother who cares so much about you."

"Nah, I know, I just like to give him a hard time. He knows I love him."

She leaned over and kissed Church on the cheek, hugging him. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," he repeated, smiling widely.


	44. Chapter 44

**Part 74**

She could almost _hear_ York's pouting over the phone. "Sweetie, it's going to be okay."

"But I _miss_ you."

"I know, and I miss you _too_, but I need to stay _here_. I have so much work to do. A draft of my final project is due right after Spring Break, and I'm nowhere near done."

York sighed theatrically. "_Please_? Just for a couple of days, you don't have to stay _that_ long."

"No, sweetie." Carolina finished the email she'd been writing and sent it off.

"_Pretty please_, with a _cherry_ on top?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'll see you in May when you come out here for graduation. I _know_ that's a long time, but this project is important, and you _know _that."

"Then why don't _I_ come visit _you_?"

"Because I know you won't be able to keep yourself busy and again, I can't take any time off. I'm _sorry_."

"But—ugh, _fine_. Are we still on for our date next week?"

"Of course." She glanced at the calendar on her wall, seeing the heart drawn around the Valentine's Day date.

"Good. Oh, hang on." She waited a moment and York sighed. "My boss is calling me. Can I call you back in a minute?"

"Sure."

"Okay, back in a minute." He hung up the phone and she leaned back in her chair, cracking her back with a satisfied sigh. Her laptop beeped with an email alert and she opened the new message.

(b)

_Sounds great! I'll arrange the tickets. Don't worry about paying me back—it's technically on Maine. I think I'm a trophy husband now—isn't that fantastic? Anyway, I'll keep you posted on your flight time, but I'll make sure it's on that first Monday you have off. I'll time it so we land about the same time to make it easier._

_Oh, and I checked out that list of houses—that third one is _definitely_ my favorite. It's so charming! But that sixth one down is also great, even if it _is_ a little pricier. Let me know if you find any other options._

_See you soon! Oh my god, this is so exciting._

_ (b)_

Carolina tapped out a quick response consisting of thanks and another few houses she'd bookmarked earlier that day. As soon as sent it, her phone started ringing and she answered it with a smile.

"And you're back."

"Can't get rid of me, babe."

"What did your boss want?"

"Oh, just more crap dealing with the transfer. She's upset that I'm leaving soon and is taking it out on my coworkers."

"I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's fine. They understand—she kinda goes nuts at small stuff anyway, so this isn't really that new to them, apparently. So anyway. Are you going to bed soon?"

Carolina checked the clock and saw that it was nearly one in the morning. "Oh, yeah, I probably should. I guess I should actually get some sleep for class tomorrow."

"Okay." She heard York sigh again. "I really hate this time difference. I'm not even tired."

"_You_ don't have to go to sleep yet."

"I know, I just…I like sleeping with you. Listening to you breathe is really soothing."

"Then go to bed."

"It's seven at night! I'm not _old_," York cried out.

"Then I don't know what to tell you," Carolina said with a laugh. "But I do need sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, fine. I'll call you when I'm out of work."

"Okay. I love you, York."

"Love you too, babe."

They hung up and she plugged her phone into her charger, getting up to turn off the light. She climbed into bed and snuggled under the blankets, enjoying the chill in the air from the window that was slightly cracked open. The early February air felt nice.

(b)

"If I had _any_ idea who you were talking about, I would _tell_ you," Dakota said, her tone exasperated and tired. Lee shook her head as well, munching on a cracker. "No, I haven't remembered anyone else since the _last_ time you asked."

"So who the hell _was_ she?" Wash cried, dropping his head to the counter.

He'd been searching since New Year's trying to find the mysterious Georgia with no luck. No one seemed to know who she was or how she came to be at CT's party.

"Have you asked York?"

"Yeah, and North, and Maine, and CT and Brandon, and you guys. I've talked to _everyone_ and no one knows who she is. I'm beginning to think I made her up."

"That seems highly possible, considering how drunk you were on that fucking Jungle Juice," Lee said thoughtfully.

"_She was real, dammit_!"

"Okay, okay, sorry." Lee held up her arms in surrender. "I'm sure she's real. You'll find her."

Wash sighed, picking at the countertop. "_Fuck_. Someone finally shows interest in me, even if it probably _is_ just pity because I was so out of it, she just _disappears_. Where is the justice in that?"

"I don't know," Dakota said, patting his arm. "She didn't leave a number or _anything_?"

He shook his head. "Just the ribbon."

"So weird. She's really starting to sound imaginary."

"She's not!"

(b)

Wash kicked the sidewalk as he walked towards the subway station on his way home. He'd moped his way over to Dakota's after work, but seeing as that hadn't helped anything, he was still depressed. He watched a rock bounce away after hitting his foot and sighed, glancing upwards to make sure he was still walking in the right direction.

"Mr. McCormick? Hey!"

Wash turned to see a young man standing across the street, waving his arms as he called over to him. He smiled and waved back. The man waited for the light to turn green and crossed the street, giving Wash a brief hug.

"Utah! What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I _told_ you, my name is—ah, whatever, Utah's fine," he said resignedly.

"Sorry, I just meet enough teachers that it's easier to assign them codenames," Wash said with a laugh. "So how's class been going?"

"Third-graders are _rough_," Utah replied with a grimace. "They're right at the age where they ask questions about _everything_."

"Yeah, I'm glad I have the second-graders. Much easier, though they _do_ get pretty rowdy."

"I bet," Utah said. "Oh, I was just out shopping, in reply to your earlier question." He held up a couple bags that looked like clothes and books from a glance. "What are you doing around here? I thought you lived closer to the school."

"I do; I was just visiting friends, they live nearby," Wash said with a wave of his hand. "How are you? I haven't gotten to catch up with you since the school year started."

"I'm tired," Utah admitted. "And I think that New Year's party permanently altered my ability to function, to be honest. I don't think I've been the same since that drink your friend made," he joked, making his hand tremble for effect.

Wash frowned. "Were you there? I remember inviting a few of the other teachers, but I don't really remember most of that night."

Utah nodded. "Yeah, I showed up kind of late. I had to get some of my family to the airport beforehand, they were in town for the holidays but my parents had to leave early for some emergency with my grandparents, they live near them."

"Oh, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it was just something going on at the nursing home, but they're fine. My sister ended up staying in town—she was at the party too. But we left early, so I don't think you met her."

Wash narrowed his eyes, realizing something. "What was her name? Do you remember what she wore?"

"Kerry. Oh, did you meet her? She's kind of tall, black hair like mine. Uh, jeans and a sweater, since she didn't have anything nice packed." Utah gestured to his own short hair. "She's really nice; I bet you'd remember her."

His shoulders sagged. "No, I don't think I did."

"Hey, we should hang out soon, okay?" Utah lightly punched Wash on the shoulder. "You've seemed sorta down lately, and I have a surefire way to fix that—I happen to have a recipe for killer fried chicken that _no one_ can resist. What do you say?"

"Sure," Wash agreed, nodding. "Track me down at school next week and we'll figure out a time."

"Great! I gotta run, I have activities to plan for the rest of the week. Talk to you later!" Utah and Wash shook hands and he ran off, leaving Wash standing at the corner. He kicked the sidewalk and grimaced as a bolt of pain shot through his foot.

(b)

"This feels _really dumb_," Carolina said, waiting for her name to be called to be seated.

"Don't worry," York's voice reassured her on the other end of the line. "I feel just as dumb, but I still think this is a good idea."

"Carolina, party of one?"

She wound her way to the front of the crowd to where the hostess was standing, holding a menu. "Right this way," she said, guiding her to a table near the back. A few people gave her looks as she passed, which she supposed was to be expected, since she was alone at a popular restaurant on Valentine's Day.

Once she was seated and her drink order was taken, Carolina hung up with York and waited, setting her phone on the tabletop. A couple of awkward minutes passed as she stared at the phone, willing it to ring. Finally it did and she answered the call, hitting a couple of buttons. She propped up the phone against the center stand containing steak sauce and various other condiments, smiling as York's grinning face popped up on her screen.

"Why hello there, lovely. Are you dining alone tonight?" he asked, his voice somewhat quiet due to the surrounding noise. She could see familiar paintings on the wall behind him and laughed.

"I'm actually waiting for my boyfriend, but maybe you could help me kill some time until he gets here. He's often late," she replied, propping her chin up on her hand. York nodded and she watched him order a glass of wine from the waiter on his end. She sat up as her waitress came back, setting a basket of rolls in front of her with a confused look.

"What—"

"Oh, don't mind me," York said, laughing. The waitress leaned over and looked at the phone screen, and York waved. "We're just on a date. I'm in California."

"Oh, that's _adorable_," she said, straightening with a laugh. "Let me know when you want to order," she said to Carolina, who nodded. She walked off and Carolina laughed nervously.

"I feel like _such_ an idiot, talking to a phone," she said, blushing.

York just grinned. "This is _awesome_," he replied. "Oh, hang on." She waited as a glass of wine was set down in front of him, and he talked to the waiter for a second before coming back to her. "Okay, we're good. I had to explain it to him too."

"So what are you thinking of getting?" Carolina asked, buttering a roll. York watched hungrily.

"Aw, man, those look _so good_," he complained. "I want rolls."

"Didn't you get yours yet?"

"No," he pouted. "And by the way, you think it's awkward for _you_? I'm sitting here in a mostly-empty restaurant because it's only three-thirty in the afternoon. I didn't even eat lunch so I would actually be _hungry_ for this date."

"What a sacrifice, indeed."

"Oh, whatever. _Oooh_, rolls!" he exclaimed, his hand blocking the camera as he reached for the just-delivered food. "Oh man, I forgot this place has that cinnamon butter. _Amazing_."

They continued talking after their respective orders were taken, catching up on school and work, and finally the conversation turned to Colorado as their food came at almost the same time. They'd both gotten steak, his medium-cooked, hers medium-well, and she'd added a glass of the same wine he was drinking.

"Have you looked at any of those houses I sent you links for?" he asked, chewing on a roll.

"Not yet," she said lightly, hoping her face wouldn't give her away. "I've just been really busy, I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine. Have you contacted either of the realtors I sent you information about?"

"No, not yet." She'd actually already been talking to one, and had plans to meet up with him when she went to Colorado over spring break. "I'll let you know."

"Are you still okay with all this? You seem…not really into anything whenever I bring it up." York was frowning, staring at her.

"Of course I am! I'm sorry, it's all just really overwhelming," she said, smiling. He nodded and took a bite of steak.

"Okay, just making sure."

"Sorry. I'll try to get more involved, I promise."

"Sounds great. Oh, so Jill got me some more information on the new building, I'll send you the info after dinner."

"Awesome." She smiled and he smiled back.

"I'm really glad we're doing this," he said.

"I am too. I love you, hon."

"Love you too. But not as much as I love these _rolls_." He started buttering another roll as she laughed, sipping her wine, ignoring the odd looks the couple at the next table over were giving her.

(b)

"I'm really impressed at how long you've kept up the lie," North said with a laugh.

Carolina frowned, juggling the phone against her shoulder as she pulled a tray of cookies out of the oven. "Shut up. It's been really hard."

"He was just over here the other night complaining that you didn't seem to care. I managed to convince him that you _did_, and I said you mentioned a few of the houses—but not the ones we're going to look at," North added quickly. "Don't worry, he still has no idea."

"_Good_. I want to keep it that way."

"So, did that realtor get in touch with you about that one house?"

"Yeah, but he said it's going to be sold fast because it's super low priced and in a good neighborhood, so I don't think I'm going to be able to get it. _But_, there _is_ that other one that he said has been on the market for a while, and probably isn't going to sell. I bet we could negotiate a lower price on it."

"Oh, the fixer-upper?"

"Yeah." She started scraping cookies off of the tray with a plastic spatula, placing them on a plate.

"I bet York would _love_ that. He always said he wanted a house with a garden and a big back porch, and that place has _so_ much room for an expansion in the back."

"Exactly." She swatted away Grif, who had suddenly appeared from nowhere to steal a cookie. He managed to snag one and tossed it from hand to hand, complaining that it was too hot, but shoved it in his mouth before she could grab it back. "Asshole!"

"What?! I'm the one trying to _help_ you!"

"No, not _you_, fuckin' Grif stealing my damn cookies!"

"Thanks!" Grif called out, safely sitting on the couch again. Simmons looked up from his book, frowning.

"Wait, _he_ gets a cookie and _I_ don't?"

Carolina rolled her eyes and set a cookie aside on the counter for Simmons. He grinned and set down his book, coming over to grab it after wisely getting a paper towel first to hold it with. "Anyway," she said loudly into her phone, "I'm all packed and ready to go for the flight."

"It's not even for a couple more days!"

"Well, I'm finishing up my project and I had extra time last night, so I just got it done."

North sighed. "I _hate_ packing. I usually make Maine help me."

"How much have you told him about all this?"

"Not much. He knows the basic plan but not the details. Not that he'll talk, but I didn't want any details floating around. I mean, I'm the gossipy one, I _know_, but I'm being really good!"

"You _are_," she said, feeling like she was calming a five-year-old. "I can't wait to see all the houses. We have a busy couple of days planned."

"Oh, shoot, Maine's home. I better run. I'll see you in a couple days!" North hung up before she could say goodbye and she set the phone on the counter, picking up a cookie to eat.

**Part 75**

"Hey, sorry I'm late," Wash apologized, out of breath from the long walk from the subway. Utah gestured for him to come inside with a smile.

"It's okay. I was just putting together some stuff for art time next week. Drink?"

"Water, please."

"You got it." Utah closed the door behind him and headed for the kitchen, which was pretty small but efficiently organized, with hooks on the wall to hold pots and pans and the counter packed with various appliances. He grabbed a couple bottles of water from the fridge and tossed one to Wash, who nearly missed it, catching it with the tips of his fingers.

"So, you promised me delicious fried chicken," Wash said with a grin. "I skipped lunch today, so I'm extra starving."

"Great, I made plenty." Utah bent down in front of the oven and opened the door, sliding out a large glass tray filled with small pieces of fried chicken that were being kept warm. He set the tray on the stovetop as someone knocked at the door. Wash glanced over and then at Utah, confused.

"Someone else coming? Or roommate?"

"Oh, sorry, I actually invited my sister's friend," Utah said, grimacing. "I promised I'd try to make friends with her, she's actually her best friend and threatened to tell our parents some incriminating stuff if I wasn't nice to her. I thought maybe you two would get along."

"The way you seem to dislike her, should I take that as an insult?" Wash asked with a frown.

"No! I mean, she's cool, she's just…well, you'll see. I'm a quiet guy, so—yeah, I'm coming!" he hollered as the knocking continued. "Anyway, sorry for the ambush."

"It's fine," Wash said, shrugging. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a piece of chicken, shoving it hungrily into his mouth as he heard a girl's voice start to lecture Utah for ignoring her.

"It's not like this place is very big," he heard her say, and he chuckled. "I mean, the door's like, _right there_, and—hey!"

Wash spun around and found himself face-to-face with Georgia, who looked as shocked as he probably did. "_Shit_!" he said loudly, wiping his hands on his jeans.

"Wow, that's a nice way to greet an old friend," she said with a grin, sticking her hand out. Wash took it and shook it lightly, cringing.

"Sorry, I just—uh, this is really crazy. I've—" He had been about to say 'been looking for you since New Years' but realized at the last second that sounded creepy, so he finished with, "been eating some of the chicken, sorry."

"Yeah, I think there's plenty left," she replied, leaning around him to look at the tray. "Let me grab a plate and we'll eat. Sorry I'm late, Kerry kept me on the phone for _forever_ and I couldn't make her hang up."

"She does that," Utah agreed, pushing the two of them out of the small kitchen and over towards a little round dining table. "Sit, I'll grab some plates for everyone."

Wash plopped down at a chair and watched as Georgia sat across from him, leaning forward with her chin in her hands. "So, how have you been?" she asked, cocking her head.

"Uh…pretty good, thanks. You?"

"Eh. Work's been crazy." She started talking about her job, which was apparently at a library near the elementary school he and Utah worked, and he wanted to smack himself in the head for having not been there recently. He hadn't had time to read anything for fun once the school year started; normally he loved going there.

"Here we go!" Utah interrupted, setting down two plates of fried chicken, one in front of each of them. He left again to get his own plate and Georgia smiled at Wash, picking up a piece of chicken.

"Good to see you again," she said, toasting him. He smiled back and picked up a piece, tapping it against hers.

"You too," he said, popping it into his mouth as she did the same. They locked eyes as they chewed, and he could feel a blush creeping over his face. He noticed her cheeks turned slightly pink at the same time and he glanced down at his plate of food, swallowing.

"How's teaching?" she asked, picking up another piece as Utah sat down, tossing napkins down in front of them.

"It's really good," Wash replied. "I teach second grade, so it's not as draining as some other grades."

"Yeah, third graders are a _pain_," Utah said with a snort. "But I love 'em."

"Sounds rewarding," Georgia said, winking at Utah. He grinned and took a drink of water.

"Sometimes," he agreed. "Sometimes I just want to kill them all, but that usually passes."

"Why did you leave so quickly from the party?" Wash blurted out, wanting to shrivel up and die a second later. _Fuck, why can't I ever control my mouth_?!

Georgia blinked, staring at him. "_Oh_, at New Years? Sorry, Utah and Kerry were leaving so I just went with them. I didn't want to stay when I didn't know anyone."

"She just tagged along with us," Utah said. "I hope that was okay—did your friend get mad?"

"CT? No, I mean, she knew I invited you and a few of the other teachers, even though you were the only one who showed up." Wash shook his head, grabbing a napkin to wipe off his hands. "I was just—uh, I wish I'd had a chance to thank you, that's all."

"You could have asked _me_," Utah said before Georgia had a chance to reply.

"I didn't know who she came with!"

"Seriously? I _swear_ I introduced you guys."

"Yeah, he was pretty fuckin' drunk," Georgia said, laughing. "I'm honestly shocked you _remember_ me."

"Of _course_ I do! I wasn't going to forget the pretty girl who took care of me," Wash said, frowning.

"You…think I'm pretty?" _Now_ her face was red. Wash felt like he wanted to die.

"Well…_yeah_, I mean—"

"Okay, let me get this straight," Utah interrupted. "Wash, _you_ were the guy Georgia was helping who was drunk? And _Georgia_ is the girl you've been talking about since then?"

"Talking about?" Georgia repeated curiously.

"Yeah, when school started, Wash was asking everyone if they knew 'the girl in the pretty dress' that was at the party. I mean, I didn't even _think_ it could be you, so I didn't say anything. It's not like I remember what you were wearing, anyway."

"Hey! What do you _mean,_ you didn't even think of me?!"

"You're my _sister's_ _friend_, dumbass! I don't _normally_ assume you're a pretty girl that someone I know is looking for!"

"You're a jerk!"

"Hang on!"

The two of them stopped arguing and looked at Wash, who was grinning like an idiot. "See, I _told_ you she was annoying," Utah said, folding his hands over his chest.

"Shut up!" Georgia snapped.

"Okay, I'm just—confused, I guess. Why does Georgia live here if your sister doesn't?" Wash asked Utah.

He shrugged. "We grew up in the city. Kerry moved away to Michigan for school and got a job there. Our parents moved to Virginia and bought a house there when our dad transferred at his job."

"I've known their family since we were little kids," Georgia added, kicking Utah under the table. "I went to college here when Kerry moved away, so I never left the city. Usually she stays with me when she visits, so when Tyler invited her to a New Year's party, I decided to tag along."

"_Oh_." Everything was clicking into place in Wash's head. "Man, I _really_ wish I hadn't been that far gone."

"I would have left you my phone number, but that seemed weird," Georgia said, still blushing.

"_Goddammit_." Wash hung his head, staring at his food, which was probably getting cold. "Look, I'll be honest—I've been trying to track you down since then."

"Really?" She smiled, leaning back in her chair a little. Utah glanced between the two of them, rolling his eyes.

"Oh my _god_, you have a crush on my little sister's best friend," he said, standing up. "This is sickening. I need a drink."

"I'm only a couple years younger than _you_!" she said, glaring at Utah.

"It's still weird!"

Wash listened to them squabble, grinning. _I finally found Georgia_, he said to himself. _I'm not crazy_!

(b)

After dinner Utah offered to run to the store for dessert, apparently having not thought ahead. He grabbed his coat and said he'd be back in less than twenty minutes, but winked at Wash as he left, closing the door behind him. He and Georgia were still sitting at the dinner table, two mugs of coffee in front of them, filling the air with the rich smell.

"So, uh…sorry I didn't leave you my number," Georgia finally said, reaching up to tuck some of her short brunette hair behind her ear.

"No, I understand. Sorry if that sounded creepy earlier. I mean, I _have_ been trying to find you, but it wasn't like—I wasn't stalking you," he added.

"Well, _no_, because to _stalk_ someone you have to know who they _are_," she said with a laugh. He felt something brush against his foot a moment later and realized it was _her_ foot, feeling one of the buckles on her boot snag on his jeans.

"True," he said, smiling. "Hard to find someone with just a name and a ribbon with a smiley face on it."

"Oh yeah! I _did_ leave you that. Oh, good, so that _was_ your coat. It was process of elimination, a lot of other people had already left so I just kind of assumed you were the kind of guy who had a kitty keychain."

Wash blushed, staring down at his coffee. "Yeah, I got it when I got my cat Epsilon," he explained.

"Aww, I love cats! Is he adorable?"

"Very."

"Can I meet him sometime?"

"Sure!"

They sat in silence for a moment, smiling at each other. Finally he started to say something, but she started talking at the same time so they both stopped, laughing.

"Go ahead," she said.

"No, you first."

"Uh…I just wanted to ask if you wanted to go out sometime," she said, running her finger around the rim of her coffee cup. Wash could feel his chest swelling with happiness. "What were you going to say?"

"I was going to ask you to dinner," he replied with a chuckle.

"Really?!"

"Yeah. How's Saturday?"

"Perfect."

"Sounds good. Remind me to get your number before we leave." He took a sip of coffee and some of it trickled down the side of the mug, hitting his hand.

"Sure!"

"Hang on," Wash said, standing up. He walked over to the sink in the kitchen and turned on the faucet, rinsing off his hands. He reached over for the dishtowel and dried them, turning around to nearly bump straight into Georgia, who was suddenly standing next to him, her empty cup in hand.

"I drank it all," she said sheepishly, setting it on the counter next to the half-full coffee pot. Wash just nodded, staring down at her. She was just as pretty as he remembered—bright blue eyes, brunette hair that curled just above her shoulders, and just a few inches shorter than him.

"Want a refill?"

"No." She reached out and rested a hand on the counter beside them, kicking at the tile.

"Okay." Wash tilted his head and leaned towards her, kissing her lightly, reaching over to place a hand over hers on the counter. A second later she was pushing back against him, her other hand on his shoulder to steady them, kissing him deeply, and Wash inhaled through his nose so he wouldn't have to stop the kiss. Her lips were soft, steady, guiding his as his hands moved to her waist, holding her carefully.

Finally she pulled back, a playful smile on her lips. "Happy New Year," she said with a laugh, her fingers playing with the edges of his hair.

"Happy New Year," he replied, leaning forward to press their foreheads together as he grinned.


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, I had a really busy weekend. Onwards!**

* * *

**Part 76**

"Over here!"

Carolina looked around, hearing North's voice but not seeing him, and a moment later the crowd parted and she saw him waving from across the terminal, duffel bag at his feet, a huge grin spread across his face.

"North!" She ran over and dropped her bag next to his, throwing her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly. He held her close, laughing.

"I've missed you, sweetie!"

"I've missed you too. Thanks _so_ much for helping me with this."

"Of course, York's one of my best friends. I'd do anything for that idiot." He finally let go of her and reached down, grabbing their bags. "Let's get going, okay? I need to eat before we meet up with the realtor, and we don't have a lot of time."

"Sounds great." She tried to take back her bag as they walked, but North firmly held onto it, insisting that he carry it. They found the car rental counter and North spoke with the woman behind the counter as Carolina looked around Denver International Airport, grinning at all the pictures of the mountains decorating the interior.

Finally North got a set of car keys and instructions to where the rental car was parked, and they were on their way. It took some time to find the right lot but soon they were in the car, bags safely in the backseat, and headed for downtown Denver to find a restaurant within walking distance of the realtor office. Carolina navigated using her phone's GPS and eventually they found a parking meter to use near a pizza place that was supposedly a few blocks away.

They sat down in a booth near the window of the restaurant, each having ordered two slices and a drink, and watched people walk by as they ate quickly.

"This is pretty good," North remarked, picking off an olive to eat alone as he finished up his second slice.

Carolina nodded, taking another bite. "Yeah, not as good as a few places in New York, but you can't win them all."

North laughed. "Aw, look who's _spoiled_ by living in _New York_."

"Oh, be quiet."

He nudged her with his elbow and nodded in the direction of the next booth over, seeing two girls staring at him, giggling about something. "Uh, am I being checked out?"

She raised her eyebrow. "Yeah, I think so."

"Hey, ladies!" North waved at the girls and they both blushed, quickly looking down at their slices of pizza. "Aw, don't be shy."

"Hi," one of them said, her voice slightly shaky.

"You're both so _cute_," North said, winking at them. They both giggled and poked each other. They must have been early college-age, maybe twenty-two if Carolina had to guess. "Are you having a good day?"

"It's better _now_," the obviously-braver one of the two said, flipping a lock of blonde hair over her shoulder. "Do you want to maybe meet up later for a drink?"

"Well, I hate to disappoint you, but my _wife_ wouldn't care much for that," North replied, snuggling closer to Carolina. She smiled at the girls and waved, watching their faces fall. "But have a great day!"

"You too," the blonde said, sounding sad. North chuckled and kissed Carolina on the cheek, making her blush and the girls turn away, focusing on their food again.

"Aww, that was adorable," Carolina said quietly. North nuzzled against her cheek and grinned.

"It's _so_ hard being gay sometimes," he lamented.

(b)

"Uh…are you _sure_ this is the right place?..."

North had an incredulous look on his face as they gazed up at the outside of the office building where a large pink sign was hanging, loudly proclaiming "Franklin and Associates Realtors" in Office 2B. A flower border decorated the sign and North cringed.

"Good god, it's like the stereotypical side of me threw up all over that sign," he moaned.

Carolina grabbed his arm and dragged him inside, throwing a sideways glance at the pink and yellow coffee table in the hallway with housing brochures on it. They found the office door just inside and she knocked before entering.

Every single visible surface was either white or pink, and Carolina blinked, wondering if her retinas were going to be burned out from the sheer overwhelming color. Despite the sickening shade of pink, the place was actually very tastefully decorated, with a few bunches of flowers settled around the room on small tables, and a large white desk in the middle of the room with a computer and ledger on top of it. Various frames filled the walls, most of them pictures of stylish houses and the scenic backdrop of Colorado. The computer chair was empty and she finally located a young blonde man in a black suit standing at the other end of the room in front of a coffee maker which was, she sighed internally, _pink_.

"Oh, _heyyy_ guys!" he called over his shoulder. "Just one second!" He poured a cup of coffee and carried it over to the desk, setting it down gingerly. He turned to look at them and his face lit up in a giant smile. "Carolina, right?" he asked, coming around the side of the desk to shake her hand. "It's so great to _finally_ meet you! You're _adorable_!"

"Uh, thanks. You too?..." She shook his hand, smiling.

"And you are?" he said, turning to North. He smiled and shook the man's hand.

"North. Great to meet you."

"Oh, I never even introduced myself! What a dummy. I'm Franklin Donut, but you can just call me Donut!" he said proudly.

"What an…interesting name," North observed.

"Well, that's my name, so thank you!" Donut said, beaming. "Anyway, I know you don't have a lot of time, so let's get right to it! Did we finish deciding on which homes to go look at?"

Carolina nodded, reaching into her purse to pull out a small writing pad. "Yeah, I wanted to check out that one in Belmar, and the one in Five Points."

"Oh, you know what? Let me check something." Donut went over to the computer and typed in something, clicking a few times before frowning. "Yeah, that one in Five Points had an offer put in the other day, so it's probably not going to be available. Did you have a backup?"

Carolina sighed, checking her notes. "The only other one I _really_ liked was the one in the Littleton neighborhood. That's going to be closer to the building site anyway."

"Sounds great! Let me just grab some paperwork and we'll be on our way. I can drive!" Donut continued babbling about the highs and lows of the neighborhoods as North glanced around, squinting.

"There's too much pink here even for _me_," he whispered. "I'm getting a headache." She nodded in agreement.

Finally Donut was standing next to them, arms full of file folders and a travel coffee mug. He winked at North. "So, is this the lucky boyfriend?" he asked.

North laughed. "No, I'm the friend helping set all this up," he replied. "_York_ is the boyfriend."

"Oh, I'm sorry! I have that written down somewhere, I must have forgotten, silly me."

"It's okay. Should we get going?"

"Of course!" Donut nudged the two of them forward towards the door. "We can take my car, I just got it serviced! There's nothing like a good old-fashioned servicing to do wonders, am I right?"

"Uh, right," North agreed, raising an eyebrow. Carolina just shrugged and they followed Donut to a surprisingly navy-colored four-door sedan. He unlocked the car and she climbed in the front passenger seat while North got in the back. Everyone buckled up and Donut started the car, heading for the highway.

"So it's a short drive to the Belmar one, we'll check that out first. Then I have a few more in mind that just came on the market, and they're nearby so we can just spread ourselves to take more in!"

North coughed suddenly as Carolina smirked, trying to resist saying anything.

(b)

"Alright, first thoughts on _this_ one?"

Carolina walked through the living room, narrowing her eyes in thought as she glanced around the expansive area leading into the kitchen. "I'm not really feeling it."

"Did you see this giant den?" North called out. She made her way towards his voice, reading the flyer in her hand.

"I think this is a little out of our price range," she replied, stepping down into a large den where North was checking out all of the television equipment the owners had displayed.

"This is _such_ a nice place though," North said. "And they just redid the roof, _and_ the garden is already planted and blooming."

Carolina shrugged. "Yeah, I'm just not getting that 'oh my god yes' vibe."

Donut was at her side a moment later, tapping the paper in her hand. "So, what do you think?" he asked with a smile.

"I don't think so," she said, shaking her head. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry! We won't rest until we find you the perfect house. The last six just weren't it, that's all." Donut checked his watch and sighed. "However, we _will_ have to wait until tomorrow to look at the rest."

"Okay. Sorry we dragged you all over the city," North said, taking her hand. "We'll head back to the hotel and grab some dinner, and meet up with you early if that's okay."

"Of course! We can get started bright and early. Let's go back so you can get your car from the office." Donut gestured for them to follow him and they made their way to the car. Once buckled inside Carolina pulled out her phone and saw that York had called, leaving her a voicemail. She listened to it as they drove, trying to hear it over Donut and North talking about furniture.

"Hey babe, just seeing what you were up to. I'm stuck late at work, and I'm sure you're busy working, so just give me a call back whenever. Oh, and I emailed you another few links, so check those when you take a break, okay? Love you, miss you."

She clicked on the email app on her phone and opened the new email from him, opening the various links in new browser windows. The first link was a house that was definitely out of their price range as well as being too far south. The second one looked promising, but the third link was the one that made her sit up and re-read the description a second time.

"Hey, Donut?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we make one more stop today? I know it's late, but there's a place I really want to see."

"I suppose so. Where is it?" he asked, tilting his head back slightly.

"Uhh…Littleton again. Is that close by?"

"We're not too far. Give me the address. Hey, North, can you type it into the GPS?"

"Sure." He set the destination as Carolina read it aloud. "Where did you find this one?"

"York just emailed me."

"Ah, okay." North put the GPS back on the dash and Donut adjusted it.

"Only about thirty minutes away. I feel like we're going on an adventure!" he said with a grin.

(b)

Donut pulled his car up into the driveway and Carolina was quickly out of the car, walking up to the front door.

It was a small two-story home with an attached garage and a medium-sized front lawn, a decorative border of rocks wrapping around the edge. A couple of bushes littered the front, but the lawn definitely needed some work. The house itself was a pale blue with yellow trim, and the front door was a light yellow, which made her smile. It was _charming_, she found herself thinking as she waited for Donut to mess with the security box on the door, cross-checking a list on his phone to find the right code.

"I totally forgot about this place," he commented as he flicked through files on his phone. "It went on the market a few months ago, but it doesn't get a lot of traffic because it needs some work done."

"Well, it's not like York isn't good with construction," North said.

"I'm sorry this one didn't occur to me," Donut apologized as he found the code he needed, typing it into the lockbox. It sprung open and he retrieved the key, opening the front door. He stepped back as it swung open. "After you!"

Carolina smiled and stepped past him, entering the house. Immediately she froze, standing in the entryway, her eyes wide.

It was _perfect_.

The entryway opened up into a large, long living room with a short wall dividing it and the kitchen. Connected to the living room was a smaller dining nook with a sliding glass door leading to a backyard. She looked to her left and saw a large spiral staircase leading up to a second floor, and she walked over as North and Donut began to discuss what would need fixing.

On the second floor were three closed doors and an open one leading into a smaller bathroom. The first two doors lead to bedrooms, both reasonably sized, and the closer one had a bay window in the front of it, the window overlooking the street in front of the house. The last door opened up into the master bedroom, and Carolina's mind immediately began placing furniture around the room, her breath catching as she stood in the center, looking out the large window at the head of the room. A master bathroom was attached and it had a large claw-footed club next to a standing shower, and a good-sized vanity with two sinks and lots of cabinets. The closet was a walk-in and had rods on both sides as well as shelves stretching up to the ceiling, which were higher than usual.

"Hey, what do you think?" North asked, and she popped out of the closet to see him standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame, hands in his pockets.

She hesitated, not sure if she wanted to admit that it was perfect, as though that would…_jinx_ it somehow. North smiled and pushed himself off the frame, coming over to stand in front of her.

"You're already picturing it, aren't you?" he asked softly. It took all of her resolve to just nod and not start crying. North pulled his hands out of his pockets and set them on her waist, turning her around so that her back was to his chest, and he held her tightly, resting his head on her shoulder. "What are you thinking?"

"That I want to turn the second bedroom into an office, and the first one into a kid's room," she whispered, her voice shaking. "That I want to add a porch downstairs and maybe a walk-out porch up here. That I want to fix the shower and upgrade the bathrooms."

"And?"

"That I want to start a life here," she said, a little more loudly, listening to her voice reverberate off the empty walls.

She could feel North's chest tremble as he murmured his agreement, and she felt her lips curl up into a smile as she squeezed his hands, picturing her future with York.

**Part 77**

Carolina sat at the table in the hotel room, staring at a pile of paperwork Donut had given her to go over, containing various numbers and estimates and steps to take for buying a house. He was confident that it wouldn't be getting an offer put on it anytime soon, since it seemed that most other realtors had forgotten it was even there, and was sure they could drive the price down a bit. It was in their range, though near the higher end, and she was already overwhelmed and worried about how the whole 'surprise' angle was going to work if she couldn't pay for it on her own. Which, she already knew, she couldn't.

"I'm sure Maine would loan you the down payment money and you guys could just pay him back over time," North said, coming out of the bathroom as he toweled off his head. He was already in pajama bottoms, though shirtless. "I could talk to him."

"I could _never_ ask him to do that," Carolina replied, shaking her head. "That's entirely too much. I mean, we're looking at what, over thirty or forty grand for that? That's _ridiculous_."

"Do you think you could qualify for a good rate on your own?"

She shook her head again. "No, I don't think so. Besides, I really want to go in together with York on this. And he has great credit, so that would only help us."

North shrugged, sitting on the edge of one of the beds. "I don't know then. I really don't know how this stuff works."

"Yeah, neither do I," she frowned, staring down at the papers again. "I guess there's only so much I can do on my own. Maybe I can just surprise York with a trip out here to _see_ the house. I'm sure he'll fall in love with it right away. I mean, he's the one that sent me the link to it in the first place."

North smiled. "I'm sure he will. I really wish you could have seen the look on your face when you were upstairs. You just…_glowed_."

She blushed, smiling at him. "Really?"

"Trust me. That's _your house_. We'll find a way."

Carolina closed her eyes, imagining the interior again. She heard North chuckle and opened her eyes, seeing him just smiling at her. "What?"

"You were picturing it, weren't you?" North stood up and came over to her, bending down to kiss her on the cheek as she laughed.

"I can't help it!"

"I need some sleep. Try not to stay up all night, okay? We should still go see a few more homes tomorrow to make sure." North snuggled in under the comforter on his bed, flicking off the bedside lamp. "Good night, Lina."

"I'm going to call York real fast, and then I'll get some sleep."

"Sounds good." He rolled over to face away as she dialed York's number, waiting for him to pick up. Checking her watch, she realized he might still be at work, and almost hung up as he answered, out of breath.

"Lina?"

"Hey, hon. What are you doing? You sound like I caught you in the middle of something."

"Nothing, I was just organizing some boxes in the closet." He took a deep breath. "What's up?"

"Oh, I was just going to bed, so I thought I'd call to say good night."

"Bed? It's only ten, isn't it? You never go to bed before one in the morning. Are you feeling okay?"

She checked the clock on the table, realizing it was eight o'clock. They'd had a long day, so she was more tired than usual, especially with the time change. "Uh, yeah, I'm just tired. I didn't notice the time."

"Are you sure everything's okay? You sound…distracted."

"Yeah, everything's fine, I promise."

"Good. I miss you so much, babe. I can't wait to see you soon."

"Soon?"

"Your graduation, remember?"

"Oh! Right."

"Lina, you're kind of worrying me."

"Sweetie, I'm fine. I'm just so stressed over stuff for school and…it's just been a long day. Really. I'll be fine."

"Please don't work yourself too hard. I don't need you getting sick, since I can't be there to take care of you."

Her chest flooded with happiness and she smiled, cradling the phone to her ear. "I won't get sick. I miss you too. We'll see each other soon."

"Good. Get some sleep. I'll text you in the morning when I'm up."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love _you_, babe." York made kissing noises into the phone and she laughed as she hung up. She watched North roll over and groan.

"I think I may be _glad_ when you guys move away," he grumbled. "That much sappiness might just kill me if I spend too much time around you."

"Oh, shut up," she said, tossing a pen at him. He rolled his eyes and turned away again, burying his face under a pillow as she stared out the window at the stars above.

(b)

The next day was a bust, or what Donut apparently called "just as disappointing as a cheerleader threesome," which just made North choke on his coffee and turn bright red. They'd looked at seven more houses and none of them had given Carolina the same feelings as the one the day before.

"So, you're _sure_ this is the one you want to go for?" Donut asked, once they were back inside the office. North was half-asleep in a chair while the two of them were going over papers.

Carolina nodded. "Is there any way to keep it off the market, or just…I don't know, _hide_ it or something?"

Donut laughed. "Not really, unless we actually start the paperwork right away. But to do _that_ you should already have a banker on call, and have checked your credit and have all that stuff in order."

"Which I haven't even _started_," Carolina said, sighing. "Okay. I guess I can't really do anything right now."

"Have you decided how you want to surprise your boyfriend?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. I guess we should schedule a trip out here or something. I'll think about it and let you know."

"Please do! I'm eager to please," Donut said, winking at her. North snorted from the chair. "That being said, I'll do my best to keep the house off the market. I don't think it'll be that hard, since it seems to have been mostly forgotten anyway."

"Okay. Well, I guess that's it for now. We're flying home tomorrow morning anyway." She stood up and extended a hand, and Donut shook it, grinning widely.

"I can't _wait_ to see how this all plays out," he said, squeezing her hand. "It's just so _exciting_ that I may _blow_!"

North stifled another laugh and sat up, blinking. "Are we leaving?" he mumbled.

"Yeah, come on."

"It was so great to meet you!" Donut and North shook hands as he blearily rubbed his eyes.

"You too," North replied, smiling.

"Have a safe flight home and keep in touch!" Donut walked them to the door and smiled, waving them out. "Later!"

Carolina waved as they walked away towards the parking garage they'd used that day. North took her by the hand and swung their arms as they walked, whistling quietly.

"You're chipper," she said, smiling.

He shrugged, swinging her arm more widely. "I'm just so excited! And I have a few ideas on how you can surprise York."

"Oh, do tell!"

"All in good time, my dear," North said, winking at her. "I need dinner first."

"I didn't realize I had to wine and dine you for this," Carolina laughed.

"Hey, I don't put out without food first!" North paused, thinking. "Well…_most_ of the time." She reached over with her other hand and smacked his arm, laughing.

(b)

Carolina didn't know what she'd been expecting when she walked into her apartment, but a mostly-naked woman sprawled out on the couch hadn't been anywhere near the list.

"_Grif_!" she hollered, and stood frozen in the doorway as she waited for him to come out of his room. It was a Saturday morning, he should have been around. A passed-out woman seemed more like his doing than Simmons', so she was hedging her bets on his involvement.

"Jesus _Christ_," Grif complained loudly, appearing in the hallway, only wearing boxers. "What the _fuck_, Carolina? When did you get back?"

"Just now. Who the fuck is _that_?"

He glanced over at the couch and groaned. "God_dammit_, put some_ fucking clothes on_!" he yelled, walking over to the girl. He kicked her foot that was dangling off the side and she snorted loudly, slowly opening one eye.

"Fuck _off_, asshole!" she muttered, turning onto her side as she closed her eyes. Unfortunately for both Grif and Carolina, she was topless and she turned more towards them. Grif shouted a few choice words and reached for a blanket, hurling it over her.

"I'm gonna fucking kick you in the junk," Grif threatened, and the girl opened both eyes, glaring at him.

"You don't have the _balls_."

"_Try me_."

Carolina cleared her throat, still standing in front of the door. "Can someone _please explain_ why a naked girl is on the couch?"

"I'm not _completely_ naked," the girl replied, sitting up. Luckily the blanket stayed over her as she yawned. "And fuck _you_, who are _you_?"

"I _live here_!" Carolina shouted, losing her temper. Grif stood up and came over, standing in front of her.

"Okay, uh, long story short, this is my sister," he said, grimacing.

Carolina glared at the girl, realizing she looked a lot like Grif. She had similar olive-colored skin and her long black hair was reminiscent of Grif's when he didn't shower for a few days. She watched as the girl leaned down, grabbing a shirt off the floor to yank over her head.

"So, are you boning her?" she asked, pointing to Carolina. Grif reached out to hold Carolina back as he shook his head, sighing.

"Shut the fuck _up_, Sister."

"What?! I was just _asking_." Sister stood up and stretched her arms over her head, watching as Simmons wandered into the living room, his eyes widening at the view of Sister's stomach. "Hey, like what you see?" she asked, wiggling her hips. "I've been working out!"

Simmons' cheeks turned scarlet as he ran to the kitchen, ducking his head into the fridge. "Morning, Sister," he called out, not looking at anyone.

"Dude, stop lusting after my _sister_!" Grif snapped.

"I am _not_!"

"He _totally was_," Sister said loudly, bending over to touch her toes. Carolina was fascinated at how flexible she was, watching her stretch in various positions. "He's _always_ staring at me. You wanna hit this, Simmons?"

"_Shut up, Sister_!"

"_God_, Grif, stop cockblocking your best friend!"

"I am not listening, I am not listening," Carolina could hear Simmons repeating to himself as he poured himself a glass of juice, trying to block out the yelling in the living room.

(b)

"So I was living in New Jersey, and I was dating this guy for like a month, and it was going really good, right? Well, it turns out he was a _cop_, even though when we met I even _asked_ if he was a cop and he said he _wasn't_ which is entrapment, isn't it? Like, it's a _law_ that you have to tell people if you're a cop_, right_?"

"Get to the point," Grif moaned, his head in his hands. Sister had been talking for an hour straight, telling them about the last year of her insanely ridiculous life. Carolina had asked her at one point if she was high and making things up, but Sister had replied she was sober but was _totally_ down for smoking a joint, if Carolina had one.

"Okay, whatever, so the guy is a cop and I was like 'oh my god, I can't believe I'm dating a _cop_,' I mean I didn't want to have to flush my stash, but it turned out he was really cool about it as long as he wasn't around for when I bought everything. Another couple of weeks go by and I asked him to get me some coke from the station, or maybe some heroin—I mean, I'm not picky, whatever. And, like, he _totally flipped out_ on me, and was screaming about how he's not a dirty cop and I was like 'whatever, you're the one who took ecstasy last night and was talking about _turtles_ for three hours. And then he started blaming _me_ for that, and I was all 'sweetie, you said you had a headache, and I just thought that would make you feel better!"

"And you didn't have any aspirin lying around?" Simmons said, exasperated.

"Fuck that pussy shit!" Sister snapped. "Aspirin is for _kids_! So we broke up and I burned a bunch of his shit that night, but I went over to his place the next day to have make-up sex because I figured it was just the leftover ecstasy in his system and maybe he was fine now. I broke into his apartment because he never gave me a key but it's okay because I know how to pick locks, and I find him in his bedroom _fucking some other girl_! At first I thought 'well sure, why not,' because women are beautiful too, right? But _no_, she's not a hooker he hired for a threesome, she's his _other girlfriend_! The asshole was cheating on me with _her_!"

"I think it was probably the other way around," Carolina muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Well, _fuck_ that asshole!" she said angrily. "I threw a bunch of his shit around the room—oh yeah, I was kind of high at the time—and then he threw me out, saying I was some coked-up whore and he was all trying to convince this other girl that 'oh, baby, I love _you_, she's fucking_ crazy_,' so I stole his cat. _Now_ who's the crazy one?"

Grif blinked, processing the last part of her story. "Wait, _what_?"

"Oh _fuck_, did I leave it in the car?" Sister jumped up and grabbed her car keys, tossing them at Simmons. "Bitch, go get the fucker out of my car! He's probably pissed on everything already!" Simmons ran out of the apartment as Grif and Carolina stared at her, open-mouthed with shock. "Jesus, have you ever driven a cat cross-country? I nearly left that thing on the side of the road in like four different states."

The room was silent as she sipped from a mug of coffee and tried to flatten part of her long hair that was sticking out strangely. A few minutes later Simmons came back into the apartment, holding a large cat that was snuggled into his chest, purring contentedly.

"That thing is an _asshole_," Sister said, pointing at it. Simmons looked down and pet its head, smiling.

"It doesn't seem so bad."

"Can I see it?" Grif stood up, walking over to Simmons. "I kind of always wanted a cat; they seem easy to take care of."

"I don't know, I—_whoa_!" Simmons nearly dropped the cat as it swiped at Grif, hissing, catching his hand with one of its claws. Grif yelped and the cat squirmed out of Simmons' hands, starting to attack Grif's leg. Grif kicked it away and backed up, watching as it stopped hissing and started rubbing up against Simmons' foot.

"What the _shit_?"

"Guess it doesn't like you," Simmons observed.

"Oh, its name is Sarge," Sister said, rolling her eyes. "Because the guy was a cop, right? Fucking _idiot_. Real creative there. I think he had a hard-on for his sergeant. Wouldn't blame him, guy was _hot_, in like a 'hot dad' way, but still."

Grif rubbed his hand, growling under his breath. Carolina stood up and grabbed her bags, dragging them towards her room. "Good luck with your raging insanity," she yelled over her shoulder. Sister started shouting about 'family over hoes' or something and Grif and Simmons started yelling back at her, Sarge's yowling nearly drowning out all three of them.

**Part 78**

Wash rolled over in bed, draping his arm over the side of the bed as he buried his face in the pillow. A moment later he felt something brush against his fingertips and he flexed them automatically, scratching Epsilon behind the ears, smiling as he meowed his typical 'good morning, now feed me' cry.

"Morning."

He opened his eyes and rolled back over to smile at Georgia, who was snuggled underneath the blanket, only the top of her head visible, her eyes closed. Wash smiled and scooted over, lifting up the blanket so that it wouldn't get caught under his weight, and slid an arm over her waist, resting his head on her pillow.

"Morning, lovely," he replied quietly, kissing her nose. She moved further underneath the blanket and he chuckled, rubbing her side through the thin t-shirt she'd worn to bed.

"I don't want to get up," she murmured.

"We can stay in bed today, there's no school. Teacher holiday."

"Really?" She perked up a little and he grinned, his hand slowly working its way up her side, lightly touching her upper arm, stroking the skin.

"Really." He pushed the blanket down with his chin and kissed her, starting out slowly but deepening it after a few seconds, his hand squeezing her arm with just enough pressure to make her scoot closer to his body.

Georgia reached up and pushed her hands against his chest, moving him so that he was lying on his back, staring up at her. Her brunette hair was disheveled but still curled at the ends, flying away from her face in various directions, and her eyes were half-lidded, but a grin was playing at the sides of her mouth. "Do you want breakfast before or after?" she asked, letting out a soft sigh as Wash's hands caressed her stomach, moving downwards agonizingly slowly.

"I'm thinking we skip breakfast and just kill time until lunch," he replied, slipping a few fingers under the waistband of her underwear.

"Sounds good to me."

(b)

They'd been dating for nearly a month, much to Wash's delight. The first date they'd had after dinner with Utah had been a near disaster, and Wash was thinking that maybe he just wasn't cut out for dating. The reservation had been lost, the service was atrocious, and he'd gotten a flat tire while driving her home, but despite everything, she'd agreed when he offered to take her out again, promising a better time.

And the second date _had_ gone better. So had the third, and the fourth. By the fifth date, they were nearly inseparable, texting each other constantly, laughing over inside jokes, enamored with each other.

If Wash was being honest with himself, he hadn't thought about Carolina in weeks—not like _that_, at least. He was still worried that something would happen and she and York would break up again, but it seemed like they were doing really well, which made him happy. He'd talked about his feelings with North, who just assured him that they would go away in time, getting Wash to admit that he knew he didn't love Carolina like _that_ anymore. Sometime between the third and fourth dates with Georgia, he was infatuated with her and knew that things were going to be back to normal soon.

"When am I going to get to meet everyone?" Georgia asked later that morning, flipping over a grilled cheese sandwich she was making for lunch. Wash had opted for leftovers from the previous night, half a turkey and cheese sandwich.

He stared at her as she stood in front of the stove in just his t-shirt, his eyes traveling up her long legs to finally settle on her face. She was blushing, having obviously seen his line of sight. "I hadn't really thought about it. I like having you to myself."

Georgia laughed, flipping the sandwich again. "You have a way of sounding creepy, you know that?"

Wash grinned. "You know what I mean! I just….I know you'll get along with everyone, but I love spending so much time with you, just us."

"No, I get it, I just like giving you a hard time." She let the sandwich simmer on the stove as she poured herself a glass of milk and set it on the table. "I'm excited to meet all your friends."

"I am too. I'll set something up soon, I promise." He took a bite of sandwich and watched her slide the grilled cheese out of the pan and onto a plate, setting the pan in the sink. She carried the sandwich to the table and sat down, smiling at him.

"Oh, we're having dinner with Tyler tomorrow, okay? I promised Kerry I'd try to play nice."

Wash had to think for a moment—he was so used to calling Tyler 'Utah' and could never remember to call him by his real name. "Okay. Maybe I can invite CT and Brandon or someone else."

"I want to meet _everyone_," Georgia emphasized.

"I know, I know!" Wash reached over and patted her hand. "You will."

"Good." She picked up her sandwich and took a bite, nodding approvingly. "I just want you to know I'm taking this seriously."

He frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

"I _mean_, I'm in this if you are."

"In…what?"

"The _relationship_, dumbass." Georgia rolled her eyes. "I really like you, okay?"

It was Wash's turn to blush as his confused frown turned into a shy smile. "I really like you too."

"I know it's only been about a month, but I think we're good together and I don't want that to end."

"Neither do I," Wash agreed, not sure what else to say.

"Then it's settled." Georgia took another bite of her sandwich, wiping her hands on a napkin.

"You don't take no for an answer, do you?" Wash asked, laughing.

"Nope."

"I like that."


	46. Chapter 46

Theta watched as Carolina paced back and forth around the table they had commandeered in the library, growing more concerned with each passing minute that she remained silent, her face locked in fear.

"Are…are you okay?" Theta finally had the courage to ask. Carolina looked over at her, still pacing.

"I'm _freaking out_," she replied, shaking her head. "There's _no way_ my final project is good enough to graduate! _Look_ at that crap!" She gestured to the pile of papers and drawings scattered across the table.

"Seriously, I really like this design, and your thesis is half-done already. I think you just need to focus and flesh this out," Theta said, gesturing to a few pieces of drawing paper.

"How far are _you_?"

"I'm almost done with the scale model, and I just need to fine-tune my thesis. I can help you if you want!" Theta reached up and pushed a lock of purple hair away from her eyes. She'd gotten it re-dyed a few days before in preparation for graduation.

"I don't think there's any saving this project," Carolina moaned, finally sitting down at the table. "I have to start over, and I don't have the time or the energy or—"

"_Carolina_." Theta threw a stack of papers at her, watching them flutter back down towards the table. "Calm. _Down_. And focus. You're doing great. Just finish this thing and graduate. It won't be that hard, I promise."

Carolina looked at her tearfully, reaching for a couple of the loose drawings. "Really?"

"_Really_."

She dropped her head to the table and sniffled. "Thanks, Theta."

"You're welcome. Now let's go get drunk tonight and forget about models and writing and all this shit for one night, okay?"

"Okay." She wiped her eyes. "I could use that."

(b)

"Man, you are in _rough shape_ there."

Carolina rubbed her eyes and looked up to see Church grimacing, staring down at her. "Shut up," she muttered, taking another long gulp of her beer.

"Has she had any water?" he asked Theta, sliding into the booth next to her. Theta shook her head.

"I tried, but she won't have any."

"Okay. Be right back." He left the table as quickly as he'd appeared, going over to the bar. Carolina glared at Theta, who just smiled back.

"Did you call him?" she asked.

"Okay, _yes_, I stole your phone, and _yes_, I called him, but it was for your own good! You're really depressed and I thought he might cheer you up!" At least Theta had the decency to _act_ embarrassed, even though Carolina could tell she was relieved that he showed up.

"Remind me to get you back later," she replied, taking another drink. As she was setting down the glass, a hand encircled it and moved it away, replacing it with a glass of water. She scowled up at Church, who was finishing the beer, his other hand held out in a 'wait a second' gesture. He finished the drink and set the glass down, making a satisfied noise in the back of his throat.

"That's better. Now drink," he ordered, pointing to the glass. Carolina shook her head and pushed it away.

"No."

"Don't be a baby. I don't want you getting sick."

"I'm _fine_."

"She's had a _lot_ to drink already," Theta chimed in, sounding concerned.

"This was _your idea_!" Carolina argued.

"I didn't mean for you to get _blasted_!"

"Okay, hold up. Theta, can you give us a minute?" Church said, sitting down next to Carolina on the bench. Theta just sighed and stood up, saying she was going to go wait in line for the bathroom. He turned back to Carolina, who was picking at a crack in the laminated wood table. "So. What is this really about?"

She frowned. "What?"

"This whole…_thing_." He rotated his hand at the wrist. "Getting drunk, acting mean. That's not _you_."

"You don't know me," she muttered, looking away.

"Yeah, I don't know you. I don't know that you never give up on stuff. I don't know that you're compassionate and sweet. I don't know that you only drink this much when something is _really_ bothering you." Church reached over and set a hand on her arm. "Have you already forgotten how we _met_, for god's sake?"

"Of course not."

"Then get the fuck over yourself and tell me what's wrong."

"I'm _scared_."

He frowned. "Of what?"

"Of _everything_. Graduating, moving, being with him for _good_. I'm just…scared."

"Scared _bad_ or scared _excited_?"

"What's the fucking difference?"

Church leaned back in the booth, his brow creased as he thought. "Well…there's scared bad, like you don't want to do something because a part of you knows that it's not the right thing to do. And there's scared _excited_, where you're worried that something may go wrong because it's something you want really, really badly."

"You're not even making a little sense."

He sighed. "Look. Are you scared of all of this stuff because it's different, and you want to stay in New York and continue your life here? Or are you scared because you're really looking forward to starting a new life and it's just overwhelming?"

Carolina frowned. "I guess if I have to choose, then…the second one."

"Exactly. You're just thinking too much about the future. You need to learn to live in the present and appreciate everything you have."

"I don't remember you being this confident about shit," she replied. Church laughed, shaking his head.

"I'm normally not," he said. "But I've learned some things recently, and one of them is that you just have to go for what you want. And I want you to do the same."

"Hey, Church?"

"Yeah."

"I'm really sorry about how things ended between us." Carolina reached across the tabletop and took his hand, squeezing it gently. "I should have done things differently."

"I don't think there was really any other way," he replied, a sad smile on his lips. "I'm glad you fixed things with York. He's a good guy. I mean, I didn't get to know him very well, but I could tell. And it was impossible to ignore how much he loves you. Anyone can see it."

"This isn't about York. I want to talk about _us_." She looked at him seriously, and saw a brief flash of…something, she couldn't place it, in his eyes. "I should have really given you a chance."

"You did."

"I don't know if I did. I really liked you, Church. I…well, I might have moved in with you," she admitted. He looked pained and stared at her chin, unwilling to make eye contact.

"That doesn't really change things _now_," he replied.

"I know, and that's not what I'm trying to do. I just want to be honest with you."

"Why? What's the point?" He pulled his hand away. "Just to get some closure for yourself? That's really great. I guess we're done then."

"Church, what—" She hadn't meant to upset him, but he looked like he was about to snap.

"No, I get it. I'll let you stew in your stupid bullshit now." He started to move out of the booth, but she grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"What the fuck did I _say_?"

"It wasn't what you _said_, it was what you _didn't_ say." Church reached up to rub the bridge of his nose. "Christ, that was easily the girliest shit I've ever said. Carolina, you're a good person, but you don't seem to realize the effect you have on people."

"What are you talking about?" Carolina was drunk and confused, which was never a good combination.

"You came into my life and made it _better_, did you ever realize that? Before you I was just some asshole alcoholic dating a bitch who made my life miserable and living with my kid brother who drove me crazy. But then I met _you_, and you just…made everything better somehow. I don't even know what you _did_, but suddenly I'm not thinking about Allison anymore and Caboose isn't that annoying, hell, sometimes I even _like_ spending time with him, and I've never been able to commit to a girl who _wasn't_ Allison but you made me _want_ to!"

"Church—"

"And you know what else, I've wanted to ask you this for a long time now—just why _did_ you bring me to California to meet everyone? Was it because you actually _wanted_ me to meet your friends, or were you just trying to test York to see if he still cared about you? Because if it was the second one, then god_damn_, Carolina, I'm really glad I got out while I did."

She could feel tears welling up and she bit the inside of her cheek. "I wanted you to meet everyone," she answered. "I really did."

"And you _swear_ it wasn't some ploy to guilt York into getting back together?"

"Of _course_ not!"

"Fine." Church sighed, still not meeting her gaze. "I believe you."

"Why is all of this coming out _now_?"

"Because I can't sit here and help you figure out your life when you're not part of _mine_," Church said firmly, sitting back down next to her despite the fact that he was still trembling with anger.

"I'm still—"

"Hanging out once a month doesn't count," he shot back before she could argue. "That's just stupid friend shit. I was really looking forward to being with you, but that got thrown out the window before I could even reconcile what the fuck I wanted with what you apparently wanted. I never even had a chance, and I didn't even know I _wanted_ a chance until I met York."

"What do you mean?"

"Fuck, this is going to sound so stupid…" He sighed. "I had this image of some asshole you treated you badly, who was just some schmuck who didn't really care about you. Then I actually _met_ the guy, and as much as I tried to project this image onto him, I realized that wasn't him, that he was a really great guy. And I know I barely talked to him, but I watched him that morning, during breakfast, and saw how he looked at you and how he got along with everyone and I started to see that you needed someone like _him_, not _me_. And I wanted to maybe…I dunno, _be_ that sort of person for you. And I get it, I really do. I get how you feel about him. You're back together, and I'm glad for you because I know how happy you are about moving to Colorado and starting a life together, but _fuck_ if it doesn't piss me off that I couldn't have been that guy for you instead."

Carolina was speechless, and just stared at Church. An awkward minute passed and Church shrugged. "Whatever. I think I was just amazed I'd found someone who could put up with Caboose, and that probably clouded my judgment."

"Church…"

"So, now that I've effectively ruined this friendship, I'll go." He stood up again and shoved his hands in his pockets. "If you ever break up with York, come find me. I'm sure I'll just be fucking some random girl who steals from me, like usual."

"I'm not letting you walk away like that!" Carolina stood up, her fists clenched. "_Fuck you_, you asshole! How _dare_ you just drop all that on me and _walk away_!"

"You're drunk, Carolina. You won't even remember this tomorrow."

"Wow, I…" She shook her head. "I don't even know what to say to that."

"Good. Then I'll just go." Church stood still, as though waiting for her to come after him. She just stared at him, her arms shaking. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Just…do me a favor and call Caboose once in a while, okay? He doesn't really know how to deal with rejection. He'll probably think it's his fault."

Carolina shook her head firmly. "It's either both of you or neither of you, Church. I can't keep on being friends with him if I know how much it's hurting _you_."

"Then it's a good thing he's still got _me_," Church replied, turning to walk out of the bar. She watched him leave and sat down again. After what seemed like an eternity of sitting alone, she felt arms encircle her and leaned against Theta's shoulder.

(b)

York reached for his phone, groaning at the loud buzzing it was emitting from the top of his bedside table. He answered the call with a croak, then cleared his throat and tried again. "Hello."

"Hey."

He sat up, suddenly awake as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Checking the clock, he realized it was midnight, so it was _really_ late there. "Lina, what happened? What's wrong?"

"I…"

Just the one word and he could already tell she had been crying. "Babe, what's going on?"

"I don't know what to say," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "This is…this is really stupid."

York climbed out of bed, reaching for a pair of jeans on the floor. "Look, I'll fly out there _tonight_ if you don't tell me what's wrong."

"I think Church broke up with me."

He stopped trying to step into the jeans, sitting back down on the edge of the bed, confused. "Uh...wait, _what_? Were you—"

"No, nothing like that, it was just…" Carolina launched into an explanation of what had happened that night as he sat on the bed, listening to her talk. He waited until she was done and blowing her nose to say anything.

"He was right, you know," he finally said.

"About what?"

"You _don't_ know the effect you have on people," York replied.

"What do you mean?"

He smiled and leaned back against a pillow. "You come into peoples' lives and change them for the better. You did it with me, with Wash, even with Maine. You just…have this ability to see the good in people and help them realize it too."

"But it just cost me a friend," she said quietly.

"You're probably going to get mad at me for saying this, but just let me talk, okay?" She made a noise of agreement and York closed his eyes, trying to find the right words. "With Church…I don't think you two were really _friends_. You met, you hooked up, and you fell into a sort-of relationship with him, but we both know your heart wasn't really in it. I think you liked to _think_ of him as a friend because he was sort of a…well, not really a _backup_, more like a safety net? In case things didn't work out with _me_. Which, I know, sounds really terrible, but it's true. I'm sure part of you just liked having him around because I'm so far away, and that's not a reason to have someone as a friend."

He'd expected yelling, or at least arguing, and was surprised when Carolina replied with a soft voice. "That really wasn't fair to him, was it?"

"Not really. I've been there. So has Wash. He'll be okay, Lina."

"I know."

"Babe, soon we're going to be living together and starting a life together. I'll be everything you need."

"So I'm not allowed to have friends anymore?"

"Eh, we'll discuss that." He smiled as he heard her laugh a little. "Good, that's better. More laughing is needed."

"I should let you go back to sleep," she said.

He glanced at the clock again and groaned. "Yeah, you're right."

"I'm sorry for calling so late."

"I'm just glad you talked to me about this, Lina."

"Really?"

"I know it was uncomfortable to bring up, but I'm glad you trusted me to tell me." He smiled and settled back under his blanket, the pillow soft against his head. "I love you, and I want you to be able to share anything with me."

"I love you too." Her voice was sleepy and he knew he was going to lose her soon, since it was so late there. He guessed she'd been drinking as well; her voice had that slight edge to it that implied she was slightly intoxicated.

"Get some sleep."

"Okay."

"I'll be seeing you soon. Next month, right?"

"Yeah." She sounded like she was almost asleep already.

"G'night, babe."

"Night, York."

He held the phone against his ear a little more firmly and waited until her breathing evened out before he ended the call, setting the phone back on his table next to the picture of them from Christmas.

**Part 79**

Skipping dinner was the best decision Wash had ever made.

One the one hand, he felt extremely guilty because North had made the plans two weeks earlier, insisting that everyone be there to discuss what to get Carolina as a graduation present. Maine had been pestering Wash to make sure Georgia showed up, because they had become good friends after they met for dinner the month before and had started hanging out together occasionally.

On the other hand, he had a very naked Georgia lying on his bed and, well, his friends _really_ didn't register on his 'give a shit' meter at the moment. It only took a few seconds to rip off his clothes and start kissing his way across her abdomen until the guilt went away completely.

(b)

"_That_ was a nice surprise," Wash gasped, her back pressed against his chest, letting his hands grip her sides as they cooled down. The air conditioner had finally decided to kick on and the resulting cool waves of air felt like a gift from the gods.

"Sorry for the ambush, I just really missed you," Georgia laughed, craning her head back to kiss him. He reached a hand up and wound it around the ends of her hair, taking a fistful and holding it tightly as they kissed.

"I know. I'm sorry I've been so busy lately, things are just hectic with the school year ending and then Jimmy was trying to start a fight today and being a pain and—"

"Shh," she murmured, biting his lower lip. "I don't want you complaining about work right now. I just want to spend time with you and not share you with anyone."

Wash murmured his agreement and pulled her on top of him, watching as she straddled his waist, her hands on his chest as she looked down at him, a devious smirk on her face.

"Think we're too late to join the others for dinner?" he asked, glancing over at his clock. Before he could register the displayed time her mouth was on his, pulling his attention back to her.

"I don't care," she whispered against his lips, and he laughed, reaching down to grab underneath her thighs, pulling her up towards him.

(b)

Wash sighed as he buttoned up his dress shirt, watching Georgia pull on her skirt that had gotten buried underneath his own clothes. "I don't _want_ to go hang out with the others," he whined, tucking his shirt into his pants.

Georgia laughed and yanked her top over her head, fixing it at the waist as she adjusted her skirt. "We can at least make dessert. Besides, I'm _starving_ now."

"That's your own damn fault!"

"Aren't _you_ hungry?"

Wash blushed slightly. "I may have snuck a burger on the way home," he admitted, seeing her narrow her eyes.

"And you didn't bring _me_ anything?!"

"I didn't know you were _here_! You _surprised_ me!"

Before she could continue arguing her phone started ringing, and she grabbed for it off the floor, giving Wash a 'this will be continued' look as she answered it. "Hello? …Yeah, I know, we're on our way. We got stuck in traffic. …Yes, traffic that took us nearly two hours. Shut up. … Yeah, see you soon." She hung up and grinned. "Maine is angry."

"Shit. I don't like it when he's mad. He gets mean." Wash's shoulders slumped. "We better hurry."

She nodded her agreement and went into the living room to put on her shoes. Wash followed after her, leaning against the nearby wall, watching her as she bent a leg at the knee to get on her heels. As she stood up straight and fluffed her hair, she looked over at him and her cheeks turned slightly pink.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Can't help it," he replied, smiling widely. "You're beautiful."

She glanced down at her outfit. "No I'm not! This shirt doesn't really match the skirt, and the heels are too high so they make me walk funny, and—"

He crossed the space between them and swept her into his arms, kissing her to quiet her down. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, the heels giving her enough height that they were even.

"I really like you," Wash whispered against her skin, nuzzling her neck.

"I really like you too," she whispered back, giggling.

Wash smiled, standing up more straight so he could look her in the eye. "I hope this isn't too soon, but…I really, _really_ like you," he continued, reaching up to stroke her cheek.

Georgia leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. "I really, _really_ like you too."

"Do you think…" Wash paused, memorizing her smile. "Do you think maybe…you want to…stay over here more often?"

She opened her eyes a little, staring up at him. "Are you asking what I _think_ you're asking?"

"Yeah, kind of, maybe. I don't know? Yes."

Georgia laughed, leaning into his hand to kiss his palm. "Yes, I do."

"Really?!" He pulled her up into another kiss and she pressed their bodies together, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"There's nothing else I want more," she said, nipping at his upper lip. "Except maybe to skip meeting up with everyone now…"

"No, Maine's already mad, we should _go_," Wash groaned, snuggling her. "Come on. We'll discuss details on the way."

"Oooh, _details_. How _sexy_." She laughed and pulled away, heading for the door. Wash watched her walk away and sighed, wanting nothing more than to pull her back towards the bedroom. An angry image of Maine floated through his head and cleared his thoughts, forcing him to follow after her.

(b)

Wash sat in the teacher's lounge, quietly eating an apple as he caught up on a few of his news websites on his phone. He dimly registered a few other teachers making surprised noises but continued eating, only stopping when a hand slammed down on the table in front of him, bouncing his phone a couple of inches away. He looked up to see Utah glaring down at him.

"Uh…hey there?"

"What do you think you're doing?" Utah asked, his voice practically a growl.

"Um…eating a nutritionally-balanced snack?" Wash replied, raising an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

"Did you ask Georgia to move in with you last week?"

"I don't see how that's really any of your business," Wash said, setting down the rest of his apple. He grabbed his phone and shoved it in his pocket as Utah sat down next to him, still glaring at him.

"So that's a yes."

"Why do you care?" Wash snapped, standing up. "You're not her brother or anything."

"She's _like_ a sister to me; I've known her since we were kids! You guys have only been going out for what, a couple of months?"

"I really _like_ her; do you have a problem with that?"

Utah stood up as well, jabbing a finger against Wash's chest. "_Yeah_, I have a problem. You two are moving _way_ too fast."

"She _agreed_ to move in! It's not like I _forced_ her!"

"She's a _kid_, she doesn't know what she wants!"

"She's _twenty-seven_, that's hardly a _kid_! I'm only two years older than her!"

Utah and Wash glared at each other as the other teachers left the room, whispering amongst themselves. After a couple of minutes Wash finally broke the staring match and reached down to grab the rest of his apple.

"I don't know why you're suddenly against me being with Georgia, but I'm not going anywhere," Wash said through gritted teeth. "So either leave me alone or deal with it."

Utah remained silent as Wash pushed past him, tossing the apple into the trash can near the doorway. He pulled his phone out and dialed Georgia as he walked down the hallway, grateful it was empty since all the kids were out at recess.

"Hey, you," her voice answered quietly. She must have been at work at the library, given the whisper.

"Hey. I just had a run-in with Tyler. I was hoping you could explain _why_ he basically just threatened to kill me because you're moving in with me?"

"Oh, god. Seriously? Hang on." The line became muffled for a minute and finally she came back, her voice a little louder. "Still there?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I had to go outside, there were a bunch of kids around me. So _what_ happened?"

"I don't really know." Wash ducked into an empty classroom and leaned on the teacher's desk. "I was eating a snack and he came into the lounge and started freaking out on me that we're moving too fast and generally being an ass."

"Yeah, he's done that before." He heard Georgia sigh. "When I was younger, like, twenty, I had a boyfriend for a few months, and we were really serious really fast. I moved in with him and it was about a month into that when he stole a bunch of my stuff, sold it off, and ran off, leaving me with an apartment I couldn't pay for and hardly anything besides some clothes."

"Oh man, that's awful." Wash rubbed the back of his neck, nodding at another teacher walking by the room, who gave him a look.

"Yeah, I had to crash with Tyler, and ever since then he's kind of looked after me. Sometimes it's sweet, but most of the time it's really annoying. He's confronted every guy I've ever dated and scared more than one away. You didn't let him get to you, did you?"

Wash laughed. "When you're friends with Maine, no one is really that scary anymore. So no, I'm fine. I'm just worried he's going to hate me, or _you_."

"He'll get over it. Do you still want me to move in?" she asked, sounding worried.

"Of _course_ I do. I can't stop thinking about how awesome it's going to be."

"Good." The relief was evident in her voice. "Shit, I've gotta go, my boss is glaring at me through the window. See you tonight?"

"Yeah, I'll pick you up at six."

"Okay, later!" She hung up and he put his phone away, pushing himself off the desk. Heaving a sigh he started walking towards his own classroom, wondering how he was going to get it through to Utah that they were serious.


	47. Chapter 47

"So how did it go?" Theta asked, practically bouncing up and down when she saw Carolina leave the office, a grim look on her face.

"I have no idea," she said, rubbing her face. "I think it went okay, but then I totally fucked up during the thesis defense and answered some stuff wrong and I have no idea what's going to happen now."

"I'm sure you did _great_," Theta said, hugging her. Carolina smiled.

"I sure hope so. I've had other things on my mind."

"Have you talked to Church yet?" Theta asked.

"No, and I don't want to."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"…Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Carolina sighed as they walked down the hallway, heading out of the building.

"When are you going to find out?"

"My advisor said I'd know by tonight." Carolina checked her watch. "That's only a million hours away, so yeah, time to start panicking, right?"

Theta laughed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "Aw, I'm sure you're gonna pass. Isn't York flying in tomorrow for the graduation this weekend?"

"Yeah, so I _really_ have to pass or else that's pretty pointless," Carolina groaned.

"Do you want to go grab some breakfast? It's still pretty early for lunch."

"I think that would be a good idea. I feel like I'm about to pass out, I was up way too late finishing the model."

"Great, my treat." Theta linked arms with her and dragged her outside towards her car.

(b)

After breakfast Theta convinced Carolina to come back to her place and have a movie marathon of cheesy romantic comedies. She tried to fight it, but Theta was too insistent and finally she gave in.

Around six o'clock her phone beeped with an email and she dove for the phone, knocking over a half-full bowl of popcorn. Theta sighed and paused the movie, getting up to grab her hand vacuum as Carolina read the email. She was already crying, her head in her hands, by the time Theta got back from the closet, vacuum in hand.

"What happened?" She set down the vacuum and walked around the table, putting an arm around Carolina.

"I fucking _passed_," she sobbed, and Theta finally saw the giant smile through her tears. "I'm gonna graduate this weekend!"

"_Fuck yes_!" Theta whooped, hugging her tightly. Carolina continued crying but was laughing at the same time, which was a very strange sound. Theta jumped up after a minute and grabbed her keys, shouting that she'd be right back. After she left, Carolina managed to calm down enough to call York, her hands shaking with relief as she dialed.

"Hello, you've reached Sean. I'm probably busy or just didn't hear my phone, which happens a lot if I don't want to talk to you. Please leave a message and hope that I'll call you back."

"Hey, babe, I just wanted to tell you something important. Call me back when you get a chance. Love you." She hung up and tossed the phone on the couch, leaning back. Her body felt light, her head swimming, completely euphoric.

Theta threw open the door a minute later, holding a cake in her hands. "I had it in my car trunk so you wouldn't see it in the fridge," she explained as she set it down on the table in front of Carolina. She leaned forward and read 'CONGRATULATIONS' in giant red letters, with little blue and purple fireworks going off around the word.

"Oh my god, this is so great!"

"We're both gonna graduate!" Theta shrieked, grabbing Carolina by the hands. She pulled her off the couch and started bouncing up and down, and Carolina found herself bouncing along, laughing.

(b)

York had texted her before he turned his phone off for the flight, telling her that he was going to take a cab to her apartment instead of making her pick him up at the airport. She wanted to argue, but his phone was already off, and she decided not to press the issue. It would give her a little extra time to clean up the place anyway.

Sister had stayed for nearly two weeks, effectively wrecking everything in their apartment. Grif finally kicked her out when she nearly burned the apartment down in a kitchen grease fire while trying to make popcorn (and she never did explain _how_ she came to be using grease to make popcorn). She left in a huff, but it wasn't until two days later they figured out she'd left Sarge the cat there. Simmons found him napping under his bed, having dragged a plate of leftover sushi underneath it, which left a horrible stench by the time they found it.

Carolina had been too busy with school to properly clean up everything, though she did make it a priority to wash the blankets and sheets Sister used on the couch with the hottest possible water, washing them four times. She didn't trust a thing Sister had touched. Even though it had been nearly two months since she was gone, the place still seemed…gross.

"Hey, can I help?" Simmons asked, tapping her on the shoulder. She'd been scrubbing for twenty minutes at a mysterious spot in the carpet near the couch, mystified as to what it could possibly be, though she was sure she didn't want to know.

"Yeah, can you finish loading the dishwasher and run it?" she asked, getting to her feet. "Thanks, it's a little overwhelming to get all this done."

"Sister really fucked everything up, we know. We haven't been able to unclog the drain in the guest bathroom yet. Grif's tried everything but I think we're gonna have to call in the plumber."

"Lovely." She wrinkled her nose and Simmons just sighed.

"She does this about once a year, just comes through and ruins shit. Hurricane Sister. And I don't even get _laid_," Simmons grumbled under his breath.

"Ugh, _what_?"

"Look, I know she's Grif's sister, but she's still hot. _Crazy_, but hot. We made out once in high school, but Grif caught us and we never sealed the deal. Then she got _really_ crazy and into drugs and now I don't want to touch that with a ten foot pole, but _still_. She always flirts and it's really… _frustrating_." Simmons grabbed a sponge and started scrubbing angrily at a dish lying in the sink. Carolina rolled her eyes and started cleaning up the random piles of bills and papers scattered around the apartment.

"Does Grif know?"

"About what, the flirting? Of course, you'd have to be blind to miss it. _God_, I really miss sex."

Carolina chuckled, dumping a pile of paper into a bag for recycling. "No luck lately with the girls, huh?"

"Not exactly." Simmons set the plate in the dishwasher and moved on to the next one. "I almost got a phone number from the girl at the coffee shop near work, but then I made an ass of myself with some stupid joke and she said she was busy. I'm such an _idiot_ around girls."

"Aw, I'm sure you're not _that_ bad."

He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with the heel of his palm, shaking his head. "No, I am. I think all the sex I've had is pity sex. Which, don't get me wrong, is _nice_ and all, but I really want a girlfriend."

Carolina couldn't remember the last time Simmons had ever confided in her about personal stuff. "Well, just…keep trying, I guess? You'll find someone."

"I'm gonna be stuck living with Grif the rest of my life, I've come to realize that." He set the next dish in the dishwasher and continued scrubbing. "Might as well just learn to accept it."

"Accept what?" Grif asked, materializing out of nowhere in the kitchen. Carolina jumped—he must have come from behind her, but she never even heard him. She watched him grab a pack of Oreos from a cabinet, rip it open, and shove three into his mouth at once.

"That I'm never gonna get a girlfriend and we're gonna die together," Simmons said with a sigh.

"Hey, I could still do better," Grif replied, reaching out to smack Simmons' ass. He yelled and grabbed Grif's bag of Oreos away, dangling them over the sink. "No, _stop_! They'll get _soggy_!"

"Take it _back_!"

"_Fine,_ I should _be_ so lucky to end up with you! Just _spare the Oreos_!"

Simmons threw the bag at him and Grif clutched it as though it were his child. "Don't worry, I got you," he murmured, cradling it in his arms as he wandered away. Simmons resumed loading the dishwasher as Carolina just shook her head.

(b)

She was just putting the last few DVDs away in the bookshelf when the doorbell rang, and she leapt to her feet, checking the clock on the wall near the TV. She'd been expecting York to get in any time, but was apparently running late with traffic, since he'd texted her nearly an hour before saying he'd landed.

Carolina threw the door open and was greeted with a gigantic bouquet of roses and a balloon with "CONGRATULATIONS!" printed all over it. She started laughing as the roses began to move downwards, revealing York's grinning face after a second.

"They're so beautiful!" she cried, trying to take them out of his hands so he could come inside. Their hands touched and he grabbed her fingers, pulling her in for a kiss, crushing the bouquet between them. The flowers were almost immediately forgotten as they fell to the tiled entryway floor, landing on their side as Carolina and York embraced, kissing passionately as they held each other tightly.

"Dude, at least let him _come in_," Grif called out from the couch. York reluctantly let go of her and stepped inside, bending down to pick up the roses from the floor. He handed them to Carolina and she carried them over to the kitchen, setting them down more carefully in the sink. York went over to the couch and shook Grif's hand.

"Good to see you again," he said. Grif nodded and repeated the sentiment.

"Is that why you're so late?" Carolina asked, moving back into the living room to grab York around the waist, hugging him from behind. He tilted his head back and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, sorry. Just wanted to surprise you with flowers." He grinned and she snuggled against him. It had been so long since she'd gotten to hold him, and she never wanted to let go. "So what's the plan for the weekend?"

"Tomorrow is catch-up day, Saturday is the graduation, and Sunday is a surprise."

"Catch-up day, huh?" York wiggled his eyebrows as he turned around in her arms. "What does _that_ entail?"

"Pretty much what's going to happen tonight, just for a longer amount of time."

"_And_ that's my cue," Grif groaned, standing up. "See ya later; I'm going to go boil my brain for a few hours to get _those_ mental images out of my head." He grabbed his keys and headed for the door. "Simmons, get your ass out here!"

Simmons popped his head out into the hallway. "What the fuck do you want?" he yelled back.

"Carolina wants to have sex so let's get out of here!"

York started laughing as Carolina rolled her eyes, for once not embarrassed because all she wanted was to throw York down on the couch, so it _was_ true. Simmons came out of his room a moment later, wallet in hand, throwing York a 'hey' as he and Grif left, slamming the door behind them.

Carolina grinned and shoved York towards the couch, ignoring his half-hearted protests as he landed on the cushions, bouncing slightly. She climbed on top of him and sat on his lap, straddling him, and leaned down to kiss him lightly, her lips brushing against his. Her hands worked their way down to grab his wrists and move them upwards, pinning him to the back of the couch. She could feel York lifting his hips, trying to increase the friction, but she lifted herself up, letting go of one of his wrists so she could press a finger to his lips.

"It's been months, so I'm taking charge tonight," she said, leaning down to kiss his neck. York moaned appreciatively and used his free hand to wrap his fingers around the back of her neck, pulling her up for a passionate kiss.

**Part 80**

York looked up from his bowl of ice cream and smiled, tilting his spoon in Carolina's direction. "I like the way you think."

"What do you mean?" She stirred the melting ice cream in her own bowl, adjusting her legs that were draped over his as they lay in bed, propped up against pillows. She was wearing his button-up shirt that he'd been wearing earlier that night and nothing else.

"Sex followed by ice cream. I approve." He took another bite as she laughed, winding their legs together.

"I just thought you deserved a treat after doing such a great job," she teased. York grinned and reached out to squeeze her arm.

"I've been practicing on my own," he laughed.

"Aw, gross."

"I was always thinking of _you_!"

"Aw, _more _gross."

"Oh, whatever. You liked it."

"Did you pick up some new tricks?"

"Just doing some experimenting. Why, you like something I did?"

"Mm, I liked all of it." She set down her bowl and leaned over, resting her head on his chest. "I've missed this."

"Me too. You have no idea." York sighed and she listened to his heartbeat begin to slow down as he relaxed. "I've contemplated quitting just so I can move out here with you."

"That wouldn't accomplish anything. Do you _really_ want to live with Grif and Simmons?"

"Hah, no thanks. No, but seriously. We should nail down a moving date now that we know you're graduating. I can pretty much transfer any time after the first of August, the new branch should be ready then." York sat up a little more, smiling down at her. "Do you want to fly out together to look at houses?"

"Sure. When do you want to go?" Carolina felt her heart leap with excitement, but she tried to keep her face neutral.

"I can probably get some time off in a few weeks, near the end of June. Does that work?"

"Yeah, I'm totally free now. I need to try to find a job or something though. I don't know how I'm gonna pay my rent and bills, I was living off the grad school stipend, but that ends in June."

"Babe, I have enough money set aside for emergencies. I can float you for a couple of months; I know you don't have _that_ many bills. And maybe the guys can give you a bit of a break?"

"No, I don't want to put them out. Don't worry, I'll figure something out." She smiled at him. "Sweetie, I'll be _fine_."

"You'll be _fine_ because I'm going to _help_," York insisted. "Look, my money is your money, okay?"

"We're not married," she argued. "That isn't how this works. I need to hold up my end."

"It's for what, a couple months? Just until you find a job in Colorado." He took Carolina's hands in hers. They were cold from the bowl of ice cream that now lay unfinished next to his hip. "Sweetie. _Please_. Just let me help you out, okay? I _love_ you. I want to help."

"I'm not going to win this one, am I?"

"Nope." His smile was stretched even further and she sighed.

"Fine, we'll figure it out."

"_That's_ what I wanted to hear. Now finish your ice cream so we can have seconds."

"I'm full," she said, shaking her head.

"I didn't say seconds of _dessert_," York said, rolling his eyes. She laughed and shoved his half-empty bowl away, kissing him roughly.

(b)

York and Carolina spent Friday running around New York City, doing what she wished they'd done when York had visited with everyone else the previous year. They'd started at her favorite coffee shop in the morning and by the evening they'd walked through Central Park and wandered around the Metropolitan Museum of Art, finishing at her favorite Italian place near the Village.

They toasted to each other and sipped wine as they held hands underneath the table, sitting next to each other in a cozy booth.

"This is a really nice place," York commented, snuggling against her. Carolina smiled and squeezed his hand.

"Not a lot of people seem to know about this place, so it's easy to get great service," she said. "I usually come here when I need a break from everyone else."

"Yeah, I can see why." York tilted his head and kissed her as he set his wine glass down. "I love you," he whispered into her ear.

"I love you too," she whispered back, kissing him again.

"Carolina?"

They both looked up to see Caboose standing in front of them, looking confused. "Caboose! What are you doing here?" Carolina asked, sitting up.

"I was getting take-out for me and Church," he replied, holding up a large brown bag. "Why haven't you come over? I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," she replied, unsure of what to say. "Um, didn't Church tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Caboose was wide-eyed and obviously didn't know what she was talking about.

"Uh…nothing."

"Church said you've been too busy with school to come over, but I can tell you had a fight. Did you guys make up yet? You should just say you're sorry so he'll stop being mad at you. That's what I do, it usually works."

"This is awkward," York mumbled, letting go of Carolina's hand.

"Hi! I'm Caboose," he introduced himself, smiling at York. "Who are you?"

"I'm York," he replied. "Nice to finally meet you."

"York…_oh_! Are you Carolina's ex-boyfriend?" Caboose tilted his head in thought. "No, wait…if you were her ex-boyfriend, then you wouldn't be holding her hand. Unless…no, you're not a ghost…"

Carolina didn't want to know how his line of logic had jumped to ghosts, and interrupted. "Caboose, I don't think I'm going to be coming over anymore. Church and I had a…well, a really _big_ fight, and he's really mad at me, and…"

"Are you not friends anymore?" he asked sadly.

"No…I guess we aren't," she admitted.

"Oh." He looked even _sadder_ than he had sounded. "Was it something I did?"

"Of course not! It's just between me and Church, that's all. I swear it had nothing to do with you."

"Okay. Do you think _we_ could still be friends?"

York glanced from Caboose to Carolina, a sympathetic look in his eye. "Babe—"

"No, it's okay." Carolina looked up at Caboose with a smile. "Caboose, sweetie, I want to be your friend, but I don't think Church would really like that. And I don't want to do anything to make him mad at you."

"I think I understand." Caboose looked like he was about to cry. "Can I still call you sometimes? If I…if I miss you too much."

"Of course." She slid out of the booth and stood up, pulling Caboose into her arms. He hugged her tightly, burying his face against her shoulder. She held him for a minute, rubbing his back in small circles.

"I miss you," he said quietly.

"I miss you too," she replied, smiling against his hair. "Take care of Church, okay?"

"I will. Even if he yells at me. I'll just pretend it was Tucker's fault."

"Sounds like a good plan," she said with a chuckle. "I'm going to get back to dinner now, okay?"

"Okay. I'm sorry for bothering you."

"You didn't bother us," York reassured him. Caboose smiled and offered his hand for a handshake, and York took it, whimpering at Caboose's tight grip.

"Be nice to Carolina, okay?" he said, leaning down to look York in the eye, still gripping his hand. "She is a nice lady."

"Yes, she is. I promise to be nice," York said quickly, trying to pull his hand away. Caboose finally let go and he picked up his bag of food he'd set on the table.

"Goodbye," he said solemnly, waving at Carolina. She waved back and watched him leave. York turned to her, looking upset.

"That was like watching you kick a puppy," he said, frowning. "How can he be so sweet and Church is…well, an asshole?"

"Caboose is special," she said quietly, feeling terrible.

"Yeah, I'll say. Sure got the better genes in _that_ family," he said, picking up his wine glass to take a drink.

"Church isn't_ that_ bad."

"Says the girl who called me in _tears_ in the middle of the night because he dumped her as a friend."

"Well…fine." Carolina sighed and leaned against his arm. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Relationships are complicated. So are friendships." She heard his breath hitch slightly at the word 'friendships.' "Shit happens and you learn to deal with it."

York remained silent for a moment, staring down into his wine glass. "Is everything okay?" she asked, rubbing his knee.

"Yeah. Sorry." He reached up with other hand and rubbed his eyes. "Just tired, that's all."

"Are you sure? Did something happen with Wash? Or North?"

He tensed up slightly when she mentioned North. "I don't really want to talk about it right now," he replied quietly.

"York—"

"Let's just enjoy dinner. We can talk later." He smiled down at her and kissed her forehead. "It's really nothing, don't worry about it."

The waiter came by with their food before she could say anything else and they busied themselves with eating. She leaned against his shoulder and he snuggled back.

(b)

"Are you still bothered by what Sigma said at the reception?" Carolina frowned. "We all know he was just trying to make trouble for Maine."

"Yeah, kind of. I've hung out with North since then, of course, but things haven't really… returned to normal, I guess. And Maine still gives me these _looks_ sometimes. I don't know what to do about it."

"Sweetie, I'm sure you're just reading into nothing. North doesn't like you like _that_ anymore. And even if he _did_, he's _married_ and you're _straight_. So there's really nothing you could do anyway."

"No, I know _that_, it's just—" York shrugged. "It's just…I wish there was something else I could _do_, you know? Go back in time and—well, like, I dunno, help him get over me or something?"

Carolina smiled. "He'll be fine. I would stop worrying about it. Do you want _me_ to talk to him? Or Maine?"

"Oh _god_ no. And Maine would probably crush my head like a grape if I brought it up again."

"All right. York, seriously, things are going to be fine between you two. I bet he's totally over it now."

"What, like I'm _that_ easy to get over?" York pouted, pulling her into his arms. They'd been lying on the bed since getting back after dinner.

"Hey, I'm not the best person to ask," she laughed, nuzzling against his collarbone. "I never got over you in the first place."

"True." He kissed the top of her head. "You need to get some sleep. We have graduation in the morning!"

"Oh god, you're right." She checked the time and realized how late it was. "Be right back." She rolled off the bed and ducked into the hallway, heading for the bathroom to get ready for bed. York settled back against the pillows, closing his eyes.


	48. Chapter 48

York gripped the program tightly, his fingers playing along the edge of the paper, glancing around the room filled with family, friends, acquaintances of people he didn't know. He hadn't felt this self-conscious about his eye in a long time, as he noticed stares from a few people. Smiling awkwardly, he looking down and focused on his knees, praying that the ceremony would be starting soon.

"Mister?"

He looked up to see a young boy, who couldn't be older than nine or ten, staring up at him, standing to his left. "Oh. Hi."

"My name is Sam."

"Hi, Sam."

"What happened to your eye?" Sam asked, pointing to his own left eye. York smiled.

"I just hurt it, that's all."

"_Sam_! What did I tell you about talking to strangers?" A woman appeared next to the boy and took his hand. "I'm really sorry," she apologized to York. "He has a habit of just talking to people and being rude."

"He's not a stranger, I told him my name!"

"Oh, it's okay," York said quickly. "He was just curious about my eye."

"How did you hurt it?" Sam asked, still frowning.

"It was an accident in the Army," he replied.

"With a gun?"

"Yeah."

"I thought guns were supposed to hurt _bad_ guys. Are you a bad guy?"

York bit back a laugh. "No, I'm a _good_ guy. It was just an accident."

"Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore."

The woman smiled and gently pulled on Sam's arm. "Come on, we need to sit down," she said, trying to drag him away.

"Can I sit next to _him_?"

She looked at York, who shrugged. "I'm York," he said, extending a hand to shake the woman's hand.

"Nice to meet you, York. I'm Mary. And this is Sam."

"He already _knows_ that!" Sam said, obviously exasperated. Mary rolled her eyes as York chuckled.

"He can sit with me if he wants," York offered. "I don't have anyone else to talk to, anyway."

"You're here for someone graduating, right?" she asked, looking slightly suspicious.

"Oh, yes. My girlfriend Carolina." He found her name in the program and held it up, pointing to it. "See, there she is."

Mary visibly relaxed. "Just tell him to come back over if he gets too annoying." She bent down and kissed Sam's head. "Don't be rude to York, okay?"

"_Mommm_!"

"Sorry, sorry." She smiled at York and headed back over to where the rest of their group was sitting. Sam plopped down in the empty seat next to him and stared up at him.

"So who are you here to see graduate?" York asked.

"My brother. He's annoying. He thinks he's _sooo_ smart." Sam rolled his eyes. "He's just older, but that doesn't make him smarter."

"No, it doesn't." York smiled. He kind of liked the kid.

"Can you see anything with it?" Sam asked, turning back to the topic of his eye.

"Nope."

"Nothing at _all_?"

"No, but I can see with my right eye, and that kind of makes up for it."

"Can you still do stuff?"

"Like what?"

Sam thought for a moment. "Like…driving. Or play video games."

"Yeah, I can do those. Do you like video games?" York asked.

"I like Call of Duty, but my mom doesn't want me playing that game."

"That's a good one, I play that with my friends."

Sam pouted. "That's not _fair_. Mom says I'm not old enough. Sometimes my brother lets me watch him play though."

York laughed. "I think you're a little too young, yeah. What do _you_ like to do?"

"I have a tree fort! I sit in it and read a lot."

"Oh, you like reading? That's great!"

"Books are _awesome_!" Sam said happily. "I have a _lot_ of them!"

Before he could launch into his book collection, someone stepped up on stage and tapped the mic, getting everyone's attention. York reached over and pat Sam on the head to make sure he was paying attention, and Sam leaned against his arm, snuggling against him. He glanced over to where Rhonda had sat back down, but she wasn't looking at them. He sighed and settled into the unyielding metal chair, the weight of Sam on his arm oddly comforting.

(b)

Carolina craned her head back nervously, but couldn't find York in the crowd. She felt Theta's hand on her arm and turned back to see her smiling.

"He's there somewhere," Theta whispered. Carolina nodded.

Before she knew it their row was standing up and walking to the side of the room, getting ready for their names to be called. She kept looking but people were beginning to stand up, blocking a lot of rows. She took a deep breath and tried to steady her nerves as she listened to names being called.

When her classmate Dean's name was called she heard a shout from the middle of the room and saw a family standing up, beaming proudly, and a few rows over, seated firmly on York's shoulders, was a young boy clapping excitedly. She felt her stomach flip as she stared at York holding the boy's legs steady, a slightly pained expression on his face probably from the extra weight on his shoulders.

"Hey!" Theta's voice cut in a second later, nudging her forward. Carolina squared her shoulders and stepped forward, waiting for her voice to be called.

"Carolina Brown, receiving her Masters in Architecture," the announcer called out, and as she crossed the threshold towards the row of professors she heard York's voice cheering loudly. She took the diploma and shook the head of the department's hand as they turned and smiled for a quick picture. She moved down the stage, shaking the hands of her professors, and made her way off-stage to join the row of students ready to return to their seats. She glanced out at the crowd and locked eyes with York, smiling widely when she saw that the boy was now standing on a chair next to him, holding York's arm. York smiled and shrugged, tilting his head towards the kid, and she shrugged back, unable to stop smiling.

(b)

York stood around outside the room where the graduates had been herded after the ceremony, shuffling nervously. Sam's family had taken him back after the ceremony, but not before Sam had the chance to hug York tightly, closely inspecting his eye a final time.

He watched people file out of the room, dispersing to head towards their respective families. After a minute he saw the familiar shock of red hair and waved his arms in the air, getting Carolina's attention. She came running over and jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"You _did_ it, babe!" he said, nuzzling against her shoulder. He could feel her smile against his cheek.

"Thanks, sweetie," she whispered, squeezing him.

"Do you want to go get some lunch to celebrate?" he asked, letting go of her. "We can invite Theta."

"Sure, let me go find her." She leaned up on her toes and kissed him lightly, ducking away to go look for her friend. York watched the families and couples uniting around him and smiled.

(b)

"I don't even know what I'm going to _do_ with all my free time now," Theta said happily, digging into a pile of rice and beans next to her half-eaten burrito. "I mean, there are all these shows I wanted to watch, and movies, or I can just do _nothing_ if I want—it's all so _exciting_!"

Carolina laughed, setting down her burrito. "I _wish_ I could relax. I've got to start looking for a job out in Colorado," she said.

York smiled at her, rubbing his foot against her shin under the table. She turned and smiled at him, then grabbed her drink to go get a refill, taking York's with her as well. He reached over and picked up her burrito, stealing a bite from it while she was gone.

"I'm telling," Theta said, laughing.

"Go ahead," he said through a mouthful of food.

"Are you going to propose to her _before_ or _after_ the move?"

York coughed as a chunk of rice lodged itself in his throat, constricting the airflow. He hit his chest a few times and managed to swallow it, reaching for Theta's water to wash it down. She just smiled as Carolina sat back down with the drinks, giving York a concerned look.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded, his face slightly blotchy. "Good," he gasped out. "Rice. Stuck." He took a swig of water as Carolina pushed his soda towards him, frowning.

"Please don't die, sweetie."

"_Trying_." He glanced up at Theta, who was grinning at him, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

(b)

"Wake up!"

Carolina straddled York and leaned down to kiss his forehead, watching as he slowly opened his eye to glare at her. "What."

"Come on, it's time to get up! I have a surprise for you."

"Ngh." He pushed her off and turned onto his side, burying his head under a pillow. "Another hour, _please_."

"We didn't drink _that_ much last night. Let's get going. I'll go shower first, then it's your turn." She slid off the bed and hit his leg with her hand before leaving to head towards the bathroom. After she left York sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. He yawned widely and reached down to the floor to pick up his laptop that had been charging overnight. Opening it, he quickly muted the sound and went to one of his bookmarks, breathing a sigh of relief a second later. He grabbed his phone and sent a quick text, closing the laptop afterwards and setting it back down.

(b)

"_This_ is your surprise?"

"Yeah! Don't you like it?"

"I…uh, just thought it would be just _us_…"

"Aw, what fun is a picnic without friends?" Grif said, throwing his arm around York's shoulders. York grimaced, forcing a smile. "Come on, let's get the food set up!" He wandered off to help Simmons lay out a large blanket while Theta started unpacking containers of food, setting them on a smaller blanket.

Carolina smiled and kissed York's cheek. "I just thought it'd be nice to have everyone together for your last day here," she said, leaning against his arm, her fingers intertwined with his.

"No, I appreciate it, but…does this mean we don't get to have sex in the park?"

Carolina smacked his arm, laughing. "Oh my _god_."

"_What_? It's a valid question!"

"Come on guys, let's eat!" Theta waved them over and York huffed, pulling Carolina towards the food. Everyone grabbed a plate and Simmons started passing containers of food around as they began talking about whatever came to mind.

Nearly everyone had finished their first plate of food when a shadow suddenly loomed over Grif. He looked up to see a very tall young man standing over him, frowning.

"Am I too late?" Caboose asked, giving Carolina a small wave. She jumped up and crossed the blanket, giving him a hug.

"Not at all. Are you hungry?"

Caboose nodded and sat down between Simmons and Theta, smiling at the group. "Hello everyone," he greeted, his cheeks pink. "It's nice to meet all of you."

"You too," Simmons said, extending a hand. "I'm Simmons, and this is Grif and Theta."

"My name is Caboose."

"_Oh_, are you Church's brother?" Grif asked, shaking his hand.

Caboose nodded. "Yes, but he won't be here today. Because he and Carolina aren't friends anymore."

"Oh." Grif looked awkwardly at Carolina, who shrugged.

"Thanks for coming," she said to Caboose, who smiled.

"Thank you for inviting me!" He turned to Theta and saw her staring up at him, since he was easily twice her size. "I really like your hair. Can I touch it?"

"Uh. Thanks? And…I guess?" She waited patiently as Caboose reached out and twirled the ends of her hair, grinning.

"It's so shiny!"

"I just got it done," Theta said with a laugh.

"Purple is one of my favorite colors. It's not as awesome as blue though. You should make your hair _blue_!"

"Blue _is_ pretty awesome," she agreed. "I might do that sometime."

York leaned over to whisper to Carolina as they watched the other four chat about hair colors. "When did you invite him?"

"Just this morning. I felt really bad the other night." Carolina sighed. "I'll talk to him after lunch, okay? Don't worry, I didn't invite Church."

"No, I'm not worried, just…it seems a little awkward."

"He's a sweetheart, he won't cause any trouble. I promise." She kissed him quickly and went back to eating her sandwich. "Just enjoy yourself, okay?"

"Okay…" York smiled at Caboose when he looked his way. Caboose grinned and reached out to grab another cookie, shoving it into his mouth as he turned back to Theta, who seemed to have captured his attention.

(b)

After lunch the group dissolved into the guys playing a strange combination of soccer and volleyball, basically using the wide open space of Central Park to throw a soccer ball at each other that they'd found nearby, while Carolina and Theta sat on the blanket, talking while they enjoyed a beer.

"So what's the deal with Caboose?" Theta asked, setting her beer down so she could adjust her leg position. She stretched as Carolina took another drink.

"He's Church's younger brother."

"Yeah, that's what _he_ said. I mean, I only met Church a few times, but I don't remember him mentioning a brother."

"He doesn't really talk about him all that much."

"Okay." Theta extended her arms over her head, tilting her neck. "So…what's wrong with him?"

"What do you mean? He's a little slow sometimes, but—"

"No, not like _that_. I mean, is he single? Taken? Gay?"

Carolina laughed. "He's single as far as I know, though it seems like he and his best friend are a little _too_ close sometimes. But—oh my god, _no_. Are you _interested_ in him?!"

Theta laughed, dropping her arms. "I think he's adorable. Is that so bad?"

"_Is that so_—dude, he's my ex's _brother_! Isn't that, like…not right?"

"What do you mean?!"

"You know, there's the bro code, and then like…isn't there a _ladies_ code? Ho code?" Carolina scrunched up her face. "Vagina code? Something that says you aren't allowed to date relatives of ex-boyfriends?"

"Come on, I barely _knew_ Church, but Caboose is totally different from him! I can tell."

She leveled a gaze at Theta, who was still smiling. "Aren't you supposed to be this super-shy, quiet person around people you don't know?"

Theta shrugged. "Normally yes, but…there's something about Caboose that makes me feel like I don't _have_ to be shy. I don't know. If you have a problem with it, I won't do anything. Chances are I won't _anyway_."

"Nah, go for it." Carolina laughed and reached over, lightly punching her arm. "I'm just giving you shit. You two are cute."

"Really?" Theta blushed and looked down at the blanket.

"Really."

"Theta!" Caboose came running over, his face flushed from all the running around. York and Simmons were still about twenty feet away, keeping the soccer ball away from Grif, who was shouting at them to cut it out. "Do you want to come play with us?" he asked, a wide grin stretched across his face. "_Please_? We need a goalkeeper."

"I don't even know what you're playing," Theta said, shaking her head. "I'm not one for sports."

"It'll be fun!" Caboose reached down and grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet. Theta continued protesting but once she was standing, he wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her up easily, trying to maneuver her legs around his shoulders. Finally she was seated on his shoulders and his hands were on her knees to steady her.

"What the—"

"Let's go play!" he shouted, running off. Theta flailed around on his shoulders, shouting for him to stop, but quickly reached down and grabbed his collar, trying to hold on as they ran. Once they reached the others she had to let go of his shirt so she could catch the ball that Simmons threw to her. Carolina could hear Grif complaining that it wasn't fair because they were ganging up on him and laughed, closing her eyes as she lay back on the blanket.

(b)

After a couple of hours, York had finally stopped running around and come over to lay down with Carolina, snuggling up to her on the blanket. He quickly fell asleep and was snoring by the time the others were done throwing the ball around. Simmons and Grif packed up the remaining food and carried it back to the car while Caboose and Theta busied themselves trying to climb a nearby tree. Caboose was helping her onto a lower branch while Carolina watched, rolling her eyes and shouting for them to be careful.

York mumbled something in his sleep and held her more tightly, cuddling against her side. She smiled and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun combined with York's body heat.

"_Shit_!"

York shot up and blinked, trying to figure out what had woken him up as Carolina jumped to her feet, instinctively running over to where Caboose was standing under the tree, staring up at Theta, who was dangling from a higher branch, her feet flailing. "What happened?" Carolina cried out.

"Just slipped," Theta called out, trying to get a better grip on the bark. Caboose was already partway up the tree trunk on his way towards her. "I'm fine, really, I—"

With another scream her hands slipped from the bark and she plummeted towards the ground. Carolina reached out to grab her but a blur moved quickly in front of her, diving for the ground. She blinked and realized Caboose had jumped away from the tree, landing on his back as he'd caught Theta in his arms, holding her tightly. He rolled a foot, still clutching her, and finally stopped moving, wheezing heavily as he caught his breath.

"Are you okay?" he asked, finally letting go of Theta. She rolled away and got to her feet, brushing off her jeans.

"I'm fine! Oh my god, are _you_ okay?" she said, watching him get to his feet. He buckled slightly when he put pressure on his right ankle, but smiled.

"I'm okay. I'm glad _you're_ okay." Caboose reached out and brushed a leaf from her shoulder. "I shouldn't have let you climb the tree, I'm very sorry. You could have been hurt."

"I'm _fine_, Caboose. Really." Theta hugged him and he smiled, patting her head, which barely came up to his chest. Carolina smiled; she'd never realized just how short Theta was until then. Or how tall _Caboose_ was.

"Good. I don't want to see you hurt." He hugged her back and picked her up again, tossing her over his shoulder. "We should go play with the soccer ball some more, that's safer."

"_Caboose_! Your ankle!"

"Oh." He looked down at his foot and frowned. "It only hurts a little. Let's go play!"

"No!" Theta flailed around until he finally set her down, looking at her with a confused look.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to play?" He looked upset and Theta shook her head.

"No, because you hurt your ankle. I can tell because you're standing on it funny."

Caboose shrugged, looking down at it again. "I'll be okay. I only hurt it because I helped you, so it doesn't bother me."

"That's sweet, but you should sit down." She helped him over to the picnic blanket where York was still sitting, having decided to not get involved in the tree antics. Caboose sat down carefully and propped his foot up on a small rock that was holding down a corner of the blanket.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

York and Carolina exchanged a look and smiled.

(b)

"I can make it upstairs by myself," Caboose insisted, trying to get out of Theta's arms that were wrapped around his waist. She held on tightly and continued helping him keep weight off his right leg by basically pulling him towards herself with every other step.

"I _told_ you, I'm helping you because it's my _fault_," she repeated. "Now which apartment is it?"

"The fourth one," he replied, pointing. "I don't think Church is home."

"You have keys, right?" she asked as they limped towards the door, stopping in front of it.

"Of course!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys with a little plastic tank keychain on it. "Here. It's the smaller one."

"Okay. Stand here." She took the keys from him and fit the house key into the lock, turning it. Once she heard the click she opened the door, taking the key out. She turned to hand the key back to Caboose, but he was standing awkwardly behind her, staring at the floor, his hands fidgeting in front of his waist. "What's wrong, Caboose?"

"I, uh…I haven't had a girl over in a really long time," he said quietly, his face flushed.

"It's okay, I don't have to stay. I just want to help you inside." Theta took his hand and dragged him through the doorway, laughing as the blush on his cheeks deepened. "I can go once I get you sitting down."

"Okay." He limped over to the couch and fell down, adjusting himself so that he was sitting up properly. "Thank you for helping me," he said quietly.

"Of course!"

"Um…can I…I mean…" Caboose's hands were fidgeting again and Theta sat down next to him, quietly placing her hand over his.

"Yeah?"

"Can you…uh…can I call you sometime?" Caboose blurted out, shaking his head. "If that's not—I mean, I don't—"

"I'd like that," Theta said, nodding. Any embarrassment she thought she'd feel was gone just looking at how nervous Caboose was. She pulled out her phone and brought up the screen to add a new contact. "How about I get _your_ number, and I'll text you so you have mine?"

"O-okay." Caboose rattled off his phone number and she saved it, sending a quick 'hello' text message with a smiley face.

"There we go, all set. I'll leave so you can rest your ankle." She stood up and smiled down at him, tucking her phone back in her pocket.

"Uh, I, uh, ah—" Caboose reached out, touching her hand. "I, uh, don't mind if you, um, stay a little bit."

"I wish I could, but I have some errands I need to run," Theta said, not wanting to make Caboose even more uncomfortable than he obviously already was. "Maybe we can hang out later this week?"

He nodded, smiling when she squeezed his hand before letting go. "I'd like that."

She smiled down at him and decided to risk it. Leaning forward, since she was only slightly taller than he was while he was sitting down, she kissed his cheek quickly, feeling her face burning. She straightened and saw that Caboose was beaming.

"Do you think you could stay? Just for, um, a few minutes maybe?" he asked. Theta nodded and sat down on the couch next to him, leaving a couple of inches between them. He reached over and took her hand in his, holding it carefully. "Uh, it's helping my foot," he added quickly, and she just smiled, leaning against his arm.


	49. Chapter 49

**A/N: Just a little fluff. AND HOLY HELL I BROKE 200K WORDS.**

* * *

"Theta and Caboose?" York frowned. "That's an odd thought."

"What's so odd about it? They're both really sweet, I think they'd make an adorable couple," Carolina argued.

"I guess. It's just…I don't know. I guess I don't really know either of them too well. Whatever." York wrapped his arms around her waist as she washed dishes, kissing her shoulder. "So, what are we going to do about your birthday?"

"What are you talking about?"

She felt York huff against her shoulder. "Uh, you're turning thirty in a week. Are you having a party or anything?"

"I hadn't even thought about it, honestly." She dried her hands on a towel and turned in his arms, kissing him lightly. "I've been so busy with school that it didn't cross my mind."

"Well, maybe you should have a party or something. Or I can fly you back to California so we can all celebrate."

"We'll see. I wouldn't mind a small get-together here though, maybe just with Grif and Simmons and Theta." Carolina shrugged, hooking her hands around the back of his neck. "It's just another birthday."

"It's your _thirtieth_ birthday!" York exclaimed. "Come on, it's a big deal!"

"So I'm getting old. Big whoop."

"Wow, who ruined _your_ birthday when you were a kid?"

Carolina laughed. "No one. I just don't really care about having a party, that's all. Usually I just go out for drinks with CT and Dakota. That's how I met _you_, after all. Even if you _were_ throwing up in a gutter."

"Ugh, don't remind me." York made a face. "Not proud of that night, personally."

"Oh, whatever." She kissed him again and he chuckled. "Anyway, I'll talk to the girls. Maybe we can plan something. We're going to have to have a going away party anyway, right?"

"Um. I hadn't thought about that." York looked slightly upset and his hands tightened on her waist.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I guess I've been so caught up in the whole moving thing that I just…never fully realized that we're going to be leaving all of our friends."

Carolina reached up and ran her thumb across his cheekbone. "Sweetie, they're going to be just fine, I promise."

"No, I know. I just haven't been apart from North or Wash for longer than a week or two, at least not since I got out of the Army."

"It was tough for me to move _here_, but I've managed. I know you guys will be fine."

"I know. It's hard to think about though."

"I understand."

"Well," he said, brightening, "we'll just have to have an amazing going away party. I'll talk to North and Wash when I get home and see what we can do."

"Sounds good," Carolina said, pinching his cheek. York smiled.

"Now, on to happier things." He picked her up and lifted her onto the edge of the counter, kissing her deeply. "You are _entirely_ too overdressed. We need to do something about that."

"Do we now?"

"We do."

(b)

Carolina waved to York as he walked towards the security lines, and he waved back, juggling his duffel bag with one hand as he held his ticket in the other. She watched him disappear into the crowd and turned, sighing.

"Does it ever get any easier?" Theta asked, putting her arm around Carolina.

"No," she admitted. "If anything it gets _harder_ every time we say goodbye."

"But you're going to see him soon, right? When you go to Colorado?"

"Yeah, but that's not for another few weeks at least. We won't know until he puts in the time off request. He's going to give me the dates in a few days so we can book tickets, and I'll have to just meet him out there."

"Are you still….you know, with the house and everything?" she asked, waving her hand.

She'd told Theta since she and York never talked and therefore she knew she could be trusted. "As soon as I get the dates I'm going to tell the realtor so he can help set up everything. It's going to be a surprise when we get there and have it cleaned up. I really think he's going to love it."

"That's so _exciting_!" Theta cried, clapping her hands together. "Oh my god, you're going to be an _adult _with a _house_!"

"Heh, I guess so." Carolina smiled, feeling nervous. "I just really hope he loves it as much as I do."

"I'm sure he will."

"Oh, hey, I wanted to ask you—do you want to do something for my birthday? I mean, I was just going to have you, Grif, and Simmons hang out, maybe grab dinner somewhere. It's next week, but we can do something whenever."

"_Oh my god_." Theta froze with her hand on Carolina's arm, a giant grin plastered on her face. "_I have the best idea ever_."

**Part 81**

"_This_ is the best idea _ever_?"

Carolina glared at Theta, trying to ignore Caboose bouncing around them, giddy with excitement. Theta smiled at her and nodded. "What, you don't like it?" she asked, gesturing to the castle walls towering behind them.

"Theta, this is _Medieval Times_. It's a _kid's_ restaurant—"

"Oh my _god_ you get to eat the food with your _hands_!" Grif cried out, running up to them. "Simmons, you can't yell at me for not using utensils! _They don't even give you any_!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever Grif. Hey, which color knight do you guys want to support? I'm voting green." Simmons held up two cardboard crowns, one green and the other blue, while the staff member distributing crowns continued handing them out to other people.

"Blue!" Caboose announced, snatching the blue crown away.

"_Fine_." He handed the green one back to the person and grabbed four more blue ones, handing them out to the others. Carolina carefully set hers on her head, trying not to mess up her hair. Caboose gently fit one around Theta's head and Simmons tossed one to Grif, watching him struggle with it.

"Oh my god, it's not that hard," Carolina said, reaching out to help Grif get the flimsy cardboard around his head. He scowled and started walking off, adjusting it to sit at a tilt.

"Come on, I'm starving!" he called over his shoulder.

Another employee showed them towards the blue section and they started walking towards it, but quickly got sidetracked when Caboose spotted the horse stables near the large entrance doors.

"_Horses_!"

Theta ran after him and managed to somehow stop him from climbing the gate, instead forcing him to just pet the beautiful jet-black horse that stared at them from over the top of a short gate. Caboose gently pet its nose and laughed when it flared its nostrils.

"It's so _soft_," he said, still petting it. Theta stood next to him and smiled, reaching up to let it sniff her hand. Caboose took her hand and set it on its nose, moving it up and down lightly. "See? _Soft_."

"Very," she agreed, grinning.

"Hey, we should get inside, the show's gonna start soon," Simmons said, tugging on Carolina's sleeve. She'd been watching a guy juggling near the entrance and was fascinated at how quickly everything was moving.

"Oh, yeah, okay." She called over to Theta and Caboose and they grudgingly left the horse, following after them. An attendant showed them to their seats in the blue section and they were only seated for a few minutes until someone else came by for their orders. They all ordered the King's Feast and sat back, enjoying the view as Grif and Simmons made snarky comments about people wandering around.

"Oh, I think it's starting," Theta whispered as the lights dimmed slightly. Carolina rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair, wishing the food would get there already.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" A young man in a squire's outfit was standing in the middle of the arena below them, his hands on his hips, looking adorable, Carolina had to admit. A spotlight shone on him and he took a deep breath. "Welcome…to the Middle Ages! Tonight, for your viewing pleasure, we have six knights ready to joust for the hand of the princess!" The spotlight moved to the far end of the arena where a special table was set up in the stands, just above the arena itself. A man dressed as the king sat there, a large plate of food in front of him, and to his left was a pretty young woman in a dark green dress, smiling for the audience. "First up are the Green Knight, Sir Gawain, and the Yellow Knight, Sir Balin! Please cheer for your respective knight!"

The audience cheered as two knights came riding out into the arena, waving. Both carried shields and were decked out in full medieval gear. They rode in a wide circle around the edge of the arena, waving to the audience, and finally settled at opposite ends. Helpers handed them their lances and the horses whinnied, getting riled up.

Simmons leaned forward, his eyes wide with excitement as he watched the two horses stomp around. After a minute one of the knights shouted something and they both took off at a gallop, riding towards each other. Despite her high level of disinterest, Carolina found herself watching with fascination as the green knight managed to strike the yellow knight's shield, knocking him off the horse. She stood up as he fell to the ground, rolling to the side as he released his own lance. The green knight rode in a semi-circle around him and raised a fist in victory as the green section of the audience whooped and hollered excitedly.

"Fun, huh?" Theta said, poking Carolina's waist. Blushing, she sat down and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Wasn't even our knight," she said, trying to sound annoyed.

"He'll be up soon, don't worry."

They watched the two knights leave the arena and the food was served a few minutes later. The server set down giant plates of food in front of them and Grif rubbed his hands together happily.

"This looks _amazing_," he said, inhaling deeply. Simmons rolled his eyes and tucked a napkin over the collar of his button-up shirt, rolling up his sleeves.

"Better eat it before it gets cold," he said, gingerly picking up a piece of chicken between two fingers. "Seriously, we don't get utensils?"

"Man up, Simmons," Theta said, picking up a glob of mashed potatoes to shove in her mouth. He glared at her and sighed, carefully eating the chicken. Looking over at Grif, Carolina saw that he was already half-done with a gigantic leg of turkey.

"Jesus, don't choke," she warned. Grif gave her a greasy thumbs-up. She looked to Caboose, who was carefully eating his own turkey leg, leaning over his plate so it wouldn't drip on his shirt.

She glanced down at her own plate of food and sighed, reaching out to scoop some potatoes into her hand, trying to eat them carefully. A small portion dropped between two fingers and she glared down at it, angrily eating the rest of the handful.

After about ten minutes of eating, the announcer came back, hands clasped behind his back. "And now for the next round! The Blue Knight, Sir Balin, and the Red Knight, Sir Melehan!"

Two more knights rode out into the arena, waving at the audience. As Sir Balin rode past their section, Carolina stood up and cheered, waving her arms at him. She sat down and caught an amused look from Theta and Simmons, and cleared her throat, looking back down at her food.

"What?"

"Nothing," they said in unison, laughing.

The two knights faced off in the arena and charged at each other a moment later, their lances raised. Seconds later Balin's lance smashed against the red knight's shield, knocking him to the dirt-covered ground. He rolled away from the horse as Balin took a lap around the edge of the arena, arm raised in victory. Carolina cheered and stood up, clapping, joined by Caboose, who was cheering even more loudly.

"Looks like _someone_ is finally having fun," Theta shouted, laughing. Carolina grinned.

"This is fun! I mean, sure, it's silly, but—_great job, Sir Balin_!" she shouted as Balin rode by, waving at their section. Theta burst out laughing.

(b)

"And now, for the final joust of the knight—our champion, Sir Balin, Knight of the Blue, having defeated all of the other challengers, faces his biggest opponent yet!" The announcer gestured emphatically towards the other entrance and a second later, a large black horse rode out into the arena, stomping its hooves as it stopped in the center. A knight entirely outfitted in black armor sat atop it, not waving, staring straight ahead at Sir Balin, who was still waving at the audience.

"Sir Balin will be facing off against our reigning champion, Destrian the Black!" He gestured at the black knight, feigning fright. "Will Balin be able to defeat Destrian for the hand of the princess?" The man bowed towards the king and princess at the other end of the arena. "Dear audience, Sir Balin needs your support! Do you wish for Destrian the Black to win?" He lifted his arms in the air as a signal for people to cheer, and about half the audience hollered and shouted their support. "Or, do you wish for Sir Balin the Blue Knight to win?"

Carolina led the cheering, pumping her fist in the air as she shouted Sir Balin's name. He raised a hand in admiration and waved at each section in turn, nodding underneath the giant helmet. A minute later he blew a kiss towards the princess and she pretended to catch it as he rode to the starting side of the arena, taking his lance from someone holding it up.

She stayed standing, hands clasped together, watching as the two knights readied themselves. The announcer stood to the side and gestured for them to begin, and they rode towards each other, lances and shields raised.

The audience was silent as they approached each other, and Carolina watched as Destrian's lance smashed against Balin's shield, knocking him from his horse. She and most of the audience groaned in disappointment as Destrian lifted his lance high in the air.

"Well, it seems the audience has spoken!" the squire announced, shaking his head. "Would you like a rematch, Destrian the Black? Or do you think Sir Balin has had enough?"

The black knight raised his other arm in the air and shrugged, holding his lance steady.

"And what about you, Sir Balin? Would you care to take on Destrian once more for the hand of the princess?"

Sir Balin stood, brushing off his armor. He reached up and removed his helmet, revealing a handsome young man with blonde hair, slightly wavy and cascading to his shoulders. "I would be honored to be given another chance," he called out, his voice strong and steady. Carolina actually felt herself _swoon_ and heard Grif and Simmons sniggering behind her. The squire nodded and waited for Sir Balin to get back on his horse, which was waiting for him to the side of where he'd fallen. Destrian just waited, still holding the lance.

"This one is for all the glory!" the squire announced as they took their positions again. "This will decide who is worthy for the hand of the princess!"

"Make it worth our while!" the king called out, laughing heartily.

Moments later they were all set up again and with a shout, Sir Balin began charging towards Destrian, raising his lance in attack. Destrian finally began to ride, his lance at the ready, and as they approached each other Destrian stabbed forward with his lance. He just missed Sir Balin's shield, but wasn't paying enough attention and was falling to the ground a second later as his own shield met with the stab of a lance. Sir Balin raised his arms in victory, dropping his lance to the ground, and jumped off his still-trotting horse, jogging over to the princess' seat. She got to her feet and walked down a few steps, meeting him at the arena wall, and held her hand out. He took it carefully and knelt slightly as he kissed the back of it, smiling up at her.

Carolina sat down, sighing. "That's _so romantic_," she said, leaning against Theta.

"You _do_ know this is all staged, right?" Grif said.

"_Shut up_."

"Just sayin'."

"Aw, let her have this," Simmons said, nudging Grif in the arm. "She's probably pretending she's the princess and York is the knight."

"_Shut up, Simmons_!"

"See, told you."

(b)

The five of them waited outside of the arena when it was over, waiting for the knights to come out of their special room. Caboose was adjusting Theta's crown when Sir Balin came out, his arm around the waist of the princess, his helmet tucked underneath his other arm.

"Hello, everyone!" he greeted, smiling widely. "Did you enjoy the show?"

Carolina nodded, grinning. "It was so much fun! Congratulations!"

"Thank you, fair maiden." He bowed and Carolina felt her cheeks redden.

"So anyway, we should get going," Theta said, poking her in the side. "Long drive back to New York from here."

"Yeah, you're right." The closest restaurant had been in New Jersey, and Carolina had been extremely skeptical when Theta told her they had to drive there for her birthday surprise.

"Oh, wait! We need a picture!" Theta pulled out her cell phone and grabbed one of the attendants walking by, smiling. "Hey! Can you get a picture of all of us? It's her birthday," she said, gesturing towards Carolina, who was blushing even harder.

"Of course!" He took the phone and readied it as the group gathered around Sir Balin and the princess, huddling together. They all smiled and the man took the picture, nodding.

"Perfect. How about one with just the birthday girl and the knight?" he suggested. Carolina shook her head but Theta nodded enthusiastically.

"Come on, it's your birthday!" she exclaimed, pushing Carolina towards the knight. He let go of the princess and set his helmet on the ground, taking her by the hand.

"It's quite all right," he said, winking at her. She laughed nervously and stood next to him, her face on fire. The man raised the phone again and she smiled, waiting for it to be over. Before he could take the picture, Sir Balin stepped behind her and placed his hands on her waist, dipping her down as he knelt down so that she was suddenly seated on his bent knee, her hands automatically flung outwards to find stability, settling on locking around his neck. His hair was falling perfectly around his face and he was staring at her with the most perfected romantic gaze.

"_Fantastic_ picture," the attendant said, laughing as she stumbled back to a standing position. Theta and Caboose were doubled over in hysterical laughter as Grif and Simmons were smirking.

"Good night to you all!" Sir Balin said, bowing to the rest of the group before he picked up his helmet. "Have a safe journey home!" He and the princess turned to leave.

"You too!" Caboose said, bowing back. He laughed and waved as the group left, following the last few stragglers towards the parking lot.

"That was surprisingly fun," Simmons commented as they walked. Carolina was walking silently, her face entirely crimson, unable to meet anyone's look. Theta dissolved into laughter again and Caboose had to take her hand to drag her along towards the car.


	50. Chapter 50

"They took you _where_?" York said, laughing. "I just want to make sure I heard you right."

Carolina rolled her eyes, leaning back against her pillows. "You fucking heard me the _first_ time, asshole."

"No, no, I know. Hang on." She listened to silence for a moment but heard him burst into howling laughter a second later. "_Oh my god_, I just got the picture from Theta!"

"What picture?"

"The one where you're making googly eyes at the knight!" He could barely talk, he was laughing so hard. Carolina felt her face flush again and vowed to punch Theta in the arm as soon as she saw her again. "This is the _best picture ever. Of all time._"

She hung up on him a second later, throwing the phone onto the bed as she buried her head under a pillow.

**Part 82 – Mid-June 2013**

"So, what can I do to help?" Donut's soft voice echoed over the line. He was probably in an empty house instead of his office; Carolina could hear footsteps in the background.

"Where _are _you?"

"Coincidentally, I'm at your house. Well, your _future_ house, once we get everything rolling."

"No one else has put an offer on it?"

Donut laughed. "Oh, _sweetie_. I've already contacted the owners and told them to reject any other offer because you _have_ to get this house. They're so excited that you're interested, they're throwing in the kitchen appliances and washer and dryer as added bonuses."

"That's awesome!"

"But we've got to get moving on the actual _offer_," he reminded her.

"No, I know. That's what I was calling about—York and I are going to be out there next week. We'll be coming in on the 22nd."

"_Great_! I'll start getting it ready then. I'll just do a light cleaning and set some flowers and things out, sound good?"

"Sounds fantastic. We'll see you then. I'll call you when we get in so we can set up a specific time."

"Perfect. Take care!" Donut hung up and Carolina smiled at the phone, looking at the picture of her and York in the background.

(b)

"I can't believe you're really moving soon," Wash complained, petting Epsilon, who was camped out on his lap.

"Just think, you'll have an excuse to visit back home," York pointed out. "You're _from_ Colorado, right? I was only there for school."

"Yeah, my parents still live there. I don't _want_ to go back," he said. "I really like it out here."

"Well, whatever. You're still gonna visit, no matter what you say."

"Of course!"

"So when are you actually leaving?" North asked, dipping a chip into the large bowl of salsa on the table.

"Uh…August 16th. We'll have to probably stay in a hotel for a few weeks while we get housing situated, though." York sighed. "Unless we get really lucky and find a house during this trip and get the paperwork going quickly. But we're only out there for a couple days, so I don't know if that's enough time to really see any houses."

"I'm sure you'll figure something out," North assured, scooping some of the dip into another chip. "You've got a list of places to look at, right?"

"Yeah, and Carolina said she's been talking to a realtor. She hasn't gotten back to me on any of the houses I've sent her links to, though."

"Oh, don't worry. Things have a way of working out for you guys," Wash said, smiling. York shrugged.

"Yeah, sometimes. When it matters, I guess."

"We're gonna have to have a going away party!" North said, hitting the table lightly. "I'll get on planning that. I'm sure CT will help. Do you think you could get Lina out here to visit so we can all say goodbye?"

"Dude, we're already ahead of you on that. She's coming in August 2nd to help me pack, and we're driving a U-Haul out to Colorado on the 16th, so you've got two whole weeks to spend time with her."

"So does that mean her lease with Grif and Simmons is up on the first?" Wash asked.

York nodded. "Yeah. They're already looking for a new roommate, but she said they haven't really found anyone yet. Hopefully they do."

"It's only June, they've got time." North got up to get another beer from the fridge. "Anyone need anything?"

"Another beer, please," York called out, raising his empty bottle. "Yeah, I told her to have a going-away party there before she leaves, but I don't know if they will. The guys aren't really big on parties. She said something about dinner with Theta, but who knows."

"I miss that tiny girl," North said, handing York a fresh beer. "She's _adorable_."

"I'm sure she'll come visit eventually, you guys can try to time a trip together or something."

"That would be fun!"

"Do you think we could do the holidays at your new house?" Wash asked excitedly.

"Whoa, hold up! We don't even _have _a house yet!" York protested.

"Pfft, details." He grinned and took a sip of his beer. "I can't wait to see Colorado winter again. You guys are gonna have _so_ much fun shoveling snow, trust me."

York laughed. "I think I can handle some snow."

"Sure…you say that now until you get the first blizzard in October. We'll see who's laughing then. Spoiler alert, it'll be _me_." Wash reached out and clinked their bottles together at the neck. "Cheers, man. To fresh starts."

"To fresh starts," York agreed, nodding. North raised his own beer and took a sip as they stared down at the table, silent in thought.

(b)

"Thanks for flying with us!" the attendant said through a perfected smile, gesturing for York to exit the plane. He nodded at her.

"Yeah, for the millionth time this year," he grumbled, walking off the plane into the tunnel. He adjusted his duffle bag in his hand and headed for the gate, hoping Carolina was already there waiting. Her flight was supposed to have landed a half hour before his, but he was ten minutes earlier due to good weather. York sighed as he followed a crowd of fellow passengers toward baggage claim, having not seen her waiting near the gate.

He sat down on the floor, too tired to stand any longer, and waited for the carousel to start up with luggage from his flight. Twenty minutes passed agonizingly slowly and he wanted to die, watching other flights' luggage land on the carousel, but not his.

"Guess who?" a warm voice said as two hands came around his head to cover his eyes. He grinned and stood up, reaching up to hold Carolina's hands as he pulled them down.

"_Fuck_, I missed you," he breathed, kissing her deeply, followed by light kisses along her cheek and chin. She sighed and held him closely.

"I missed you more," she whispered, gripping his shirt tightly.

"My fucking luggage isn't here yet," he said, pausing only momentarily in his kisses. "Gonna have to kill some time."

"Mine's at a different area," she replied, sliding one hand up his back, his neck, finally his head, gripping a handful of hair. She pulled his head back and kissed him again, biting his lower lip. "Let me go wait for it and you stay here, and then we'll get to the hotel and continue _this_."

"Ugh…_fine_." York sagged against her and brushed her cheekbone with his hand. "Don't be gone too long, I can't stand it."

"Don't worry, I won't be. I'll be right back." They kissed a final time and she pulled away, grabbing her purse from the floor as she turned to leave. He reached out and smacked her ass and she ran off, giggling. Turning around, he saw that his flight's luggage had finally arrived and was beginning to disperse along the carousel.

"_Finally_," he complained out loud, watching for his bag. Somehow it was the fifth bag to drop onto the carousel and he grabbed it, regretting having not just done a carry-on. He turned and walked towards the middle area between carousels and waited for Carolina, who was at the other end standing next to another one, tapping her foot impatiently. She caught his eye and he gestured that he'd be right back, hauling his bag over to the bathroom. Once he got inside, he set his bag on a counter and dug his cell phone out of his pocket, dialing a number.

"Hi, I know this is last-second, but I wanted to actually upgrade my room. I won't be checking in until 2pm, so I hope—yeah, I'll hold." York fidgeted back and forth, tapping the counter as he waited. "Yes, hello, I wanted to upgrade my room?... Duggan, d-u-g-g—yes, that's me. Yeah, I wanted a bigger one if you have one available…"

(b)

"I thought we were on the eighth floor," Carolina said, watching York hit the button for the fourteenth floor.

He grinned at her. "We were, but I have a surprise."

"Okay…"

York laughed. "Don't sound so shocked, it's just a different room."

"Yeah, but the other one had a mountain view," she argued. "That's why you booked it in the first place!"

"Oh, shush." He leaned down and kissed her on the top of her head. "You'll live."

"_You_ don't know that…"

The elevator opened onto the fourteenth floor and he took her hand, grabbing his bag in the other. He led her to their room and used the keycard to open the door, pushing it open.

"After you, babe."

Carolina smiled and walked inside, and he was partway through the door when he heard her gasp. "Oh my _god_, York!"

He closed the door and stood behind her, his arms around her waist. "You like it?"

"It's _amazing_."

The entryway opened up into a gigantic room with a king-sized bed in the middle, a beautiful blue comforter covering it. Rose petals were scattered across the top of the bed and a small heart was made up of mints on each pillow. There was a large bay window and it was covered in smaller pillows with a fluffy blanket draped over the edge. A large flat-screen television was mounted on the wall opposite the bed, and the ceiling had recessed lighting crisscrossing it, the bulbs dim and non-obtrusive. Just outside the window was a gorgeous view of the Rocky Mountains, and artwork of the mountains was on the walls as well.

"I thought we deserved something nice during our stay," York murmured against her neck, kissing her softly. She let out a quiet moan and he felt her press back into him, her hands reaching up to tug at his hair.

"We're supposed to meet the realtor soon…"

"I haven't seen you in a month, I get first dibs," he said, lightly biting her neck. Carolina laughed and craned her head around to kiss him on the mouth.

"Fine by me." She turned around and grabbed his waist, quickly unhooking his jeans to shove them down. York busied himself with trying to unhook her bra as they stumbled over to the bed and fell down, scattering the rose petals everywhere. He kicked off his shoes and jeans and watched as she straddled him, leaning down to kiss his neck, as he leaned his head back, groaning.

"I can't _wait_ until we live together and we can do this _every day_," York said through clenched teeth, still trying to get the bra unhooked. After a few more seconds of struggling he just pulled it down around her waist and sat up, sliding his hands underneath her thighs to lift her up for a kiss.

"_Every_ day?" Carolina replied, smiling into the kiss.

"Yup."

"I think we can make that work…"

**Part 83 – Mid-June 2013**

York stared up at the pink sign in front of Donut's office, his eyes wide. "_Tell_ me this isn't for real."

"He's a really nice guy, you'll be fine."

"_Ugh_." York took her hand and followed her inside, blinking a few times as his senses were bombarded with white and pink from every angle. They found Donut standing over the coffee machine and Carolina cleared her throat, forcing him to turn his head their direction.

"You must be Carolina and York!" Donut exclaimed, crossing the carpet with his hand outstretched. Carolina took it and they shook, and she caught a quick wink from him.

"Yes, we are. Great to meet you," she replied, nodding. She waited as York and Donut shook hands.

"_So_ wonderful to meet you two. You're an _adorable_ couple, I must say." Donut stepped back and brought a hand to his chin, looking thoughtful. "You know, I think I have _just_ the house for you two. What do you say we get going? Stop wasting time with chit-chat?"

"Uh, sure," York said with a nod. "We had a few places in mind—"

"Oh, I'm sure you do. So do I! Trust me, between the three of us we're going to find you a house _today_!" Donut clapped his hands together once, grinning. "I'll drive! Follow me."

They watched Donut leave the office, holding the door open for them. Carolina took York's hand and tugged him along, ignoring the complaining under his breath.

(b)

"Yeah, this is a _little_ out of our price range," York said the moment they stepped over the threshold of the mansion Donut had driven them to.

"Oh, don't say that! Just take a look around."

York hesitated for a second, then started walking towards the gigantic staircase. Carolina watched him carefully tread upstairs, shaking his head, and turned to Donut, who was smiling.

"Really? _This_ is what we're leading with?"

"Hey, go big or go home," Donut replied. "See, this is the _big_, and the last house will be your _home_."

"I see what you did there." Carolina sighed and followed after York.

(b)

"Um…really?" Carolina asked, worried about even going inside.

"Condos are really where it's at these days, and this one just needs a little…_work_," Donut said, gesturing for them to enter. York took a deep breath and went inside, grimacing almost immediately.

It didn't need a little work, it needed a _miracle_. Half the paint was peeling off the walls, the kitchen looked like a landmine had gone off inside of it, and the carpet was completely destroyed.

"What the hell _happened_ here?" Carolina asked, wrinkling her nose. "And…what is that _smell_?"

"Well, I'm legally obligated to tell you that there _was_ a drug bust in here…but I don't really want to say what drug it _was_—"

"And we're _out_," York announced, grabbing Carolina with one hand and Donut with the other, pushing them out ahead of him.

(b)

"Now, see, _this_ is a nice place." York nodded approvingly at the next house, standing in the large, brightly-lit kitchen. "And it's in our price range, babe."

"Yeah, I guess so." Carolina walked into the sunken den, glancing around. Donut was probably still in the entryway, going over papers.

"Oh my god, it has a _built-in wine rack_ in the pantry!" York called out excitedly. Carolina went up to meet him and frowned.

"The den is really small," she said, trying to sound more irritated than she actually was. "And it's only two bedrooms. What about my office?"

"We can convert the den _into_ an office and just set up the TV in the living room," York suggested. "It wouldn't be that bad, having a nice open office kind of away from everything else."

"What about only having two bedrooms? The master is huge, but the second room is too small for a kid."

"Then we knock down a wall and move it back," York replied.

She shook her head. "I just…I don't really like the whole layout," she continued. She was getting worried at how excited York looked.

"Babe, we could figure it out, I promise. Let's keep this one as our number one right now, okay?"

"But—"

"Hey, Donut!"

"Yes?" He appeared in the kitchen entryway. "What's going on? Do you love it?"

"I _do_."

"You…you _do_." Donut blinked, looking down at his folder of listings. "_Oh_. I was…I mean, I'm so glad! I wasn't sure, thinking it wouldn't be big enough—"

"I think it's perfect, but Lina seems to disagree. Do we have any others to look at?"

"Uh…yeah, I had a couple more, but—" He caught Carolina's glare and swallowed. "Uh, actually yes, one more. I think you're going to love it even more than this one."

"That'll be tough," York said with a chuckle.

"Keep an open mind," Carolina said, forcing herself to smile. York nodded and grabbed her hand, pulling her in for a kiss as Donut shuffled some papers in his folder nervously.

(b)

"Okay, so, this is an older neighborhood," Donut said as they pulled into the driveway. "It's got a lot of families that live here, and lots of kids, so that means a lot of barbeques and get-togethers, which are always a lot of fun. And there's schools within two miles, which is hard to find sometimes. Denver's pretty big and be a lot to take in at once," he added. York snickered and Carolina swatted his knee as they climbed out of the car.

Carolina looked up at the house, a small smile on her lips threatening to become bigger if she didn't keep it in check. The pale blue paint was seemingly more vibrant than before, and as they crossed the lawn, she noticed that the lawn had recently been mown and the bushes had been trimmed. They walked up to the door and Donut fiddled with the security box, entering the code quickly. He pushed the light yellow door open and stepped back, gesturing for them to enter.

York went inside first and as Carolina followed, she heard him exclaim "Oh my _god_" before he was even through the living room. As Donut closed the door behind them, her eyes went wide.

The entire living room was furnished with vases of flowers along every wall, bouquets of white and yellow and red roses in small bunches every foot. The roses stretched to the back and she could smell fresh-baked cookies wafting from the kitchen at the end. A large banner of paper hearts was strung up between the ends of the sliding glass door.

"What…the hell?" York turned to Donut, who was grinning. "Do you do this shit for _all _of your clients?"

"Only the ones that request it," he replied, nudging Carolina. She smiled and took York's hands in hers.

"Babe, I have something to confess to you."

"Is it about how you're running away with Donut? Because I don't think I can handle that right now…"

"Why don't you guys check out the upstairs before you…admit anything?" Donut suggested. York nodded numbly and followed Carolina up the spiral staircase, his eyes wide.

They walked down the hallway and she opened up the door to the master bedroom, pulling him inside. In the center of the room was a plush chair with a small pillow shaped like a heart sitting on it, and another banner of paper hearts draped across the window.

"What."

Carolina wrapped her hands around York's waist, smiling up at him. "So, I kind of lied to you before. When I said I hadn't looked at any houses. The truth is, I actually came out here back in March and met with Donut to look at half of Denver, it felt like."

York frowned. "Wait, seriously?"

"That's what I was doing during spring break. And the moment I saw this house, I just…I _knew_ it was _our home_, York. I fell in love with it and haven't been able to stop thinking about it."

"So, all those other places today…they were just a ruse leading up to this?"

She nodded. "I know I should have waited until we saw them together, but I couldn't wait, and I thought—"

"_No_, Lina. Just…_stop_." York backed away, bringing one hand up to his head. "I just…Okay, this seems unfair. When _I_ was the one buying a house without telling _you_, we basically broke up. You said it was _too big_ of a gesture. And here we are, in the _same situation_, and you're telling me that you thought this was a _good_ idea?"

Carolina opened her mouth to say something, but he kept talking. "See, this is what we used to do—one of us, usually_ me_, would make some _huge decision_ and it's not fair to the other person. I thought we agreed to _not do that _anymore. Am I wrong?"

"York, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry—I just—"

"You flew all the way out here, you _lied_ to me, you found the perfect home for us, and you surprised me without anyone spoiling the surprise. I don't know whether to be impressed or pissed off."

"York, please—"

"So I tell you what," he interrupted, shaking his head. "I'm going to split the difference and go with _totally and completely in love_."

Carolina felt her heart start to pound as the adrenaline began to flood her system. "Wait…what?"

York moved his hands down, gently holding her by the waist. "Donut?" he called out.

"Yeah, sorry, got distracted by the cookies," Donut said, stepping into the room. York grinned and let go of her waist with one hand, holding it out. Donut reached into his pocket and pulled something out, handing it to York, who nodded at him.

"Okay, well, all the flowers and decorations sort of threw me off, but I think I'm good now. Okay." York let go of her waist with his other hand and knelt down on one knee as Carolina gasped, her brain finally catching up with the situation.

"Good luck," Donut said quietly, leaning against the doorframe, knowing he should leave but not caring.

"Babe, I don't even know where to start." York smiled up at Carolina, both of his hands tightly wrapped around whatever he was holding. "You and I are something special. I've known that since the day we met. I know we've had our ups and downs, _especially_ the downs, but we made it through because I believe we're meant to be. You've changed me _so much_, Lina. You've made me a better person, and I finally know what true love really is. I don't want to ever lose you again. This is the most perfect home we could ever hope to find, and I want to start the next chapter of our lives together, right here." He took a deep breath and moved his hands forward, revealing a small blue ring box. Snapping it open, she saw the same ring that he had proposed with two years earlier, a thin silver band with turquoise stones set on either side of a diamond. "Carolina, babe, will you marry me? And I just want to say that turning me down _twice_ would probably wreck me for life, so keep that in mind. No pressure."

Before she could even open her mouth to reply, she heard a muffled happy squeak from where Donut was standing, but she couldn't look at him. It was all she could do not to burst into tears as she stared down at York, their eyes locked together, and she couldn't stop smiling as she nodded, just slightly, her hands against her lips. She blinked back tears and he reached up with one hand to tug at her elbow, bringing down her arm.

"Sort of helps if you actually _say_ the words," York said quietly, his voice trembling.

"Of _course_ I'll marry you," Carolina cried out, tears finally streaming down her face. She watched as he pulled the ring out of the box and tossed it to the side, gently taking her hand so he could slide the ring over her finger. It fit perfectly and she raised her hand to look at it, admiring the vibrant turquoise.

"Thanks for helping," she heard York say to Donut. She turned just as Donut nodded and slipped out the doorway, grinning like an idiot.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"I had Donut hold onto the ring so you wouldn't see it in my pocket," York explained with a laugh. "I was going to propose at the last house, but he told me to wait. Now I get _why_."

"You…you were going to—"

"Lina, I've had that ring ready to go for the past _year_. It's taken all my resolve _not_ to propose to you. Maine and North's _wedding_? New Year's Eve? Your _graduation_? All of those moments where we were just lying in bed together, when I couldn't imagine any place else I'd rather be but in your arms—I had to _force_ myself to stop, because I didn't think _you_ were ready. But then, _fuck_, you found _the house_, the most _perfect house_, and I—" York stopped, reaching up to hold her face in his hands. "Carolina, this is it. This is just the beginning. And I can't wait for the rest."

"I love you_ so much_," Carolina said, still crying. He leaned down and kissed her cheeks, smiling.

"So are we going to be upgrading the kitchen or the bathroom first?" he asked, watching her face change from pure happiness to her default annoyed look.

"Seriously? _That's_ what you're thinking about right now?" she said through her tears.

"Well, _no_, but Donut's right outside and this isn't exactly _our home_ yet, so—"

Donut's guffaw echoed from the hallway as she smacked his arm, laughing.

(b)

"I'm taking you two out to dinner to celebrate!" Donut announced when they were all downstairs again. York and Carolina glanced at each other and smiled.

"That's really sweet of you," Carolina replied, leaning into York. He nodded in agreement.

"So, I assume you two want the house?" he asked, rifling through his folder.

"That's pretty obvious," York said with a chuckle.

"Awesome. Well, I've got most of the paperwork here with me, I'll send you home with it and you can fax it over as soon as it's all filled out. Oh, and I hate to be indelicate, but I need to ask—have you met with a banker yet to make sure you qualify for a mortgage?"

Carolina shook her head. "Not yet, I—"

"Yeah, I did," York interrupted, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I actually met with one a couple of weeks ago and got pre-approved, so we're good to go. I'll give you his number after dinner. And I meant to ask how you wanted to handle the down payment."

"York, how are we going to afford—"

"Babe, I've got it taken care of," he said, smiling. "All that money I saved from the Army, combined with my regular savings—we're totally fine. I've already run the numbers. Besides, Maine already offered to help if we need it."

"Wait—_Maine_ knows? Goddammit, I _told_ North not to—"

"_North_?" York looked confused. "North knows? I only talked to Maine, like, two months ago."

Carolina laughed. "Oh my _god_, we've _both_ been lying to each other. North flew out here with me back in March."

"_Ohh_, that explains all his cryptic lines like 'you two will figure it out.' Idiot." He shook his head. "We need better friends."

"I think we have the _best_ friends," she said, smiling.

"We can discuss the specifics tomorrow," Donut intervened, trying to get the conversation back on track. "Should we go back to my office so you two can get ready for dinner? It's still early."

"That would be great, I could use a nap," York said.

"All right." Donut started walking them out of the kitchen where they'd been leaning around the kitchen island. When they reached the living room, he stood in the center and spread out his arms. "And as for decorating, I'm just going to say two words and walk away: Chantilly. Lace."

True to his word, he walked out the front door, leaving York and Carolina to look at each other, contemplative.


	51. Chapter 51

**A/N: Okay guys, a few things here.**

**- There's a few new people commenting! Glad to have you! :D**

**- There seems to be a little confusion and I want to clear something up. Remember Part 1, the very first couple of paragraphs where Carolina is moving and is getting away from York? Okay, so, that was supposed to take place around the time she moves to New York, like...30 Parts ago. I'm sorry that wasn't clearer? What I did was go back and actually break the story up into 3 Parts: 1 goes up to New York, 2 goes through when Carolina and York get back together, and 3 is from there to the end (which will be soon). I also added a little part when she's packing to allude to that again.**

**- I have made a few changes to my original story that haven't made it here because it's too much of a pain to edit. But if you see typos, I bet they've been fixed. I do appreciate anyone pointing them out, but my BFF is reading this as I write it, and she's catching a lot of the smaller stuff. She's also been invaluable for ideas, so she really deserves just as much credit for this. She's the one I bounce ideas off of at 11pm when trying to come up with the DRAMAAAA.**

**- I also added a timeline! Because THAT MIGHT COME IN HANDY, especially for ME, because I totally got messed up on stuff. Carolina's 26 at the beginning of the story, but is 30 now-that's actually wrong, she should be 29. Whoops. SO I changed it to her being 27 in the beginning so she's still 30 now. Basically at the beginning of each 'part' header there's now an approximate date for when that stuff is happening. It'll make more sense once you see it. ANYWAY.**

**- I think that's it. I love getting comments from you guys, so keep it up! I'm really excited to be at the end of the story too, because that means I can work on...yes...SIDE STORIES! Remember me bringing up the idea before? Well, it's gonna happen! I've already written a few in my head, haha. I'm starting classes again on Monday (whyyyyy did I decide to go back to school, ugh) so updates may be a little more spread-out because it's going to be hard to find time to write, but I'll definitely keep going! Once those side stories start I'll probably start a new story file for them. This one is already getting really long.**

**- On that note, did you see I broke 200k words? Holy shit, this is double the length of my longest fic to date. Jesus. It'll be over 300k with side stories, I can guarantee that. Almost 400 pages in my document too. Just...wow.**

**ON TO THE STORY. This is a long part, warning ahead of time.**

* * *

**Part 84 – Early July 2013**

"I fucking _hate_ packing," York complained, throwing DVDs into a box. He filled it and shoved it away, working on filling the next one, ignoring that Georgia was emptying it out to repack it more efficiently.

"At least this is the last time you're going to have to do it for a long time," Wash pointed out from the kitchen, where he was eating a slice of pizza.

"You know, this would go a lot faster if you'd _help_."

"That's why _Georgia_ is helping. She's a lot better at this than me."

"It's true," Georgia said with a sigh. "I did all the packing for when I moved in. He's really better with the standing around and throwing out remarks."

"That's really lame, man. You didn't even help out your girlfriend?" York lectured. Wash turned red and tossed the pizza crust back into the box, grabbing an empty box from the floor. He carried it over and stuck it over York's head, kicking his foot for good measure.

(b)

"You should really be nicer to York. He's moving away soon, after all."

"Yeah, I know. I don't think I'm really dealing with all this too well." Wash took Georgia's hand and tugged her closer, kissing her cheek. "Thanks for putting up with me."

"I kind of have to, since I have to go home to you every night." Georgia laughed and leaned into him as they walked. "But that's okay, because I love it."

"I meant to ask you earlier—have you talked to Tyler lately?"

She shook her head. "No, I think he's avoiding me. He wasn't very happy when I told him that I definitely was moving in with you."

"I wonder why he's so upset."

"I don't know. I really thought he'd be over it by now. I mean, obviously you're not gonna sell my stuff and screw me over."

"Well, I _might_. I _do_ have a drug habit to support." Wash squeezed her hand.

"Hah, yeah, sure. I forgot about that. What drug is that again?"

"Uh…crack. Or heroin. Or are those the same?"

"You would be the worst druggie _ever_. Of all time."

"Hey, that's _my_ saying…"

"I'm supposed to have lunch with him on Sunday, I'll talk to him then. Maybe I can talk some sense into him or something." Georgia shrugged. "He's just being stupid. I'll get him to change his mind about you one way or another."

"Good luck with that. He barely spoke to me the rest of the school year, and he's been avoiding me all summer. I really don't want to have him mad at me when school starts up next month."

"I know. I'll fix it." She squeezed his hand back and smiled up at him. "I love you."

"I love you too."

(b)

_"It's only been, what, a few months? Are you _sure_ about this?" North sounded skeptical as he pushed the creamer towards him._

_Wash poured some into his coffee, stirring carefully. "I know it's fast, but I just…_know_, you know?"_

_"No, I don't."_

_"You're telling me that after only a few months with Maine, you didn't feel the same way? I saw the way you two looked at each other."_

_North frowned. "I never thought of it like that. I guess we hadn't been together that long before he was pretty much living with me."_

_"See?"_

_"Yeah, okay."_

_"I've been wanting to talk to you about all this for a while now, and…well, I guess I'll do it now." Wash took a deep breath and stared down into his coffee mug, watching the creamer melt away into the liquid. "I don't feel the same way with Georgia as I did with Carolina. With Lina it was more of a…well, I knew it would be one-sided from the start, because I could see how York looked at her. With Georgia…I think I understand how York felt from the beginning, how he just _knew_ that Lina was going to be it for him. I feel the same way about Georgia, and it's scaring the shit out of me. I don't know what I'm going to do."_

_"Moving in together is a good start," North said, reaching across the table to pat Wash's hand. "Everything's going to be okay, Wash. Really. Don't push her too much right away, just let things go forward on their own."_

_"Says the man that would be single right now if Lina hadn't pushed you two back together?" Wash said, raising an eyebrow._

_"Ignoring that, my advice still stands."_

_"I wonder if she feels the same way."_

_North shrugged. "She's moving in, that's a good sign."_

_"True."_

_"You'll figure it out. I promise."_

_"Thanks, man."_

_"Anytime."_

_ (b)_

"Hey, have you heard from Dakota lately?" Georgia asked as they walked.

"No, she's been really busy with work lately. I saw Lee last week, ran into her at the grocery store, and they seem to be doing well."

"That's good."

"I didn't know you hung out with her much," Wash said.

"Not really, but I've been making an effort to get to know your friends," she replied.

"Wait, really?!" Wash stopped walking and took her hands in his. "You…you're really trying to hang out with the others?"

"Well, I know how much your friends mean to you, so…yeah. I had lunch with North and Maine the other day, didn't they tell you?"

"_No_." Wash made a mental note to interrogate North later. "I'm…uh, that makes me really happy, Georgia," he said quietly, letting go of her hand to reach up and rub her cheek with his thumb. "I'm really glad. I'm sorry I haven't been trying to get everyone to hang out, I've just been too forgetful lately."

"No, I know," she replied, smiling. "I didn't mean to keep it a secret or anything."

"It's okay. It's _more_ than okay, sweetie." He tilted his head and kissed her lightly. "You have no idea how happy I am. And not just about that…about _us_."

"I think I know," Georgia said, kissing him back. "I feel the same way."

(b)

Dakota sneezed three times in a row, rubbing her nose. "Oh, man, _that_ was weird."

"Maybe someone's talking about you," Lee teased, rubbing her leg.

"Or I'm coming down with something," Dakota replied, shaking her head. "You know, which would make _sense,_ unlike some old wives' tale."

"Geez, gotta rain on my parade," Lee complained.

"Oh, whatever."

"You've been really quiet lately, come to think of it. When was the last time you saw North, or Wash, or any of the gang?"

Dakota shrugged. "I dunno. I've kind of been preoccupied, you know."

"No, I _know_, but—don't you think you should tell someone about it?"

"I wouldn't even know how to bring it up."

"It's not hard. You just sit them down and say 'Hey, guess what, Lee and I—'"

"I'll do it on my own time," Dakota interrupted her, shaking her head. "Just…I'll do it soon, okay? I promise."

"All right, sweetie. If you say so. Just remember it's coming up soon—"

"Oh, CT called the other day," she interrupted again. "She wants to have a going-away party for York and Carolina in a few weeks, before they go. She said Carolina's coming in at the beginning of August so it'll have to be somewhere between when she gets here and when they leave."

"I think they're leaving the 16th," Lee said, checking her calendar on her phone. "Yeah, they are. Maybe a few days before?"

"I was thinking more the night before, so the sadness can be all compressed into one night instead of everyone dragging it out. We can say all our goodbyes and then they'll leave."

"It's not like we'll never see them again," Lee said with a frown.

Dakota shrugged. "I'd still rather just get it over with right before they leave. I think it'll be better for everyone that way."

"If you say so. Do you want me to talk to CT about planning?"

"Sure. I don't think I'll have the time, I need to finish things up at work so I can be ready."

"Okay." Lee leaned over and kissed Dakota deeply, threading her fingers through her hair. "I love you, you know that?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be doing this with you," Dakota replied, kissing her back.

"Valid point. Okay, I've gotta go fill out some paperwork and fax it in. You going to be okay?"

"Of _course_ I'll be okay," Dakota said, shaking her head. "I'm not a _child_."

"Says the girl in her pajamas watching television at three in the afternoon?"

Dakota threw a pillow at her as she left the room, laughing.

(b)

"Sweetie, can we _please_ take a break from wedding planning?" Brandon complained, tossing down the pictures of various rose bouquets. "I _told_ you, I don't _care_ what flowers we have!"

"I just want your opinion!" CT argued, spreading out the pictures. "Come on, we're almost done. I promise."

"You said that an _hour_ ago. I want to watch the movie!"

"Just choose one."

"Fine, this one." He pointed to a small white bundle of roses with purple ribbon around them.

"_Really_?"

"Okay, I'm out." Brandon stood up and walked over to the couch, flopping down on it. "Have Dakota help you, she's _your_ maid of honor," he called out, grabbing the remote from the table.

"_You're_ the fiancée!"

"Who doesn't know shit about flowers," he argued. "I already helped with the place settings and guest list and the tuxes, so I think I've earned a break."

"_Fine_." CT gathered up the pictures and shoved them back in a large folder. "I'm gonna go over to Dakota's then."

"See you later," Brandon said, turning up the volume on the television.

"Love you," CT called out, blowing him a kiss.

"Love you too. Go be a bridezilla somewhere else."

"I'm _not being_—" CT shook her head, deciding to rage at him later. "Enjoy your shitty action movie."

"Oh, I will."

(b)

"I feel like you want something _more_ from us, but I don't know what it is."

Grif, Simmons, and Carolina were locked in a staring contest around the kitchen table. She'd just told them that she'd gotten engaged while in Colorado, and having expected hugging and congratulations, the two of them just shrugged and went back to eating.

"A little _excitement_, maybe?" she said.

"We kind of assumed _something_ was going to happen when you went there," Simmons pointed out.

"Yeah, and I saw the ring, I'm not _blind_," Grif added.

Carolina glanced down at her hand where the ring was glittering. "Oh. Right."

"Congratulations, though." Simmons smiled. "We're happy for you."

"We _are_?" Grif scowled. "We still haven't found a roommate to fill her spot!"

"Look, I'm sorry I'm leaving you guys in a lurch, but I'm sure you'll find someone," Carolina said, shaking her head. "But thanks for the sentiment."

"Sorry," Grif muttered. "Congrats."

"Thank you."

"Why'd you wait so long to tell us? You got back like, two weeks ago," Simmons said.

Carolina shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't know if you'd really care, I guess."

"Of course we care. We've been friends for two years, I think that entitles us to know what's going on in your life."

"We're _friends_?" Carolina smiled. "Not just roommates?"

"You're an _idiot_," Grif sighed, reaching over to whack her on the shoulder.

(b)

"Do you want to go out for dinner tonight or stay in?"

Caboose frowned, thinking. "We went out last night…so tonight we should stay here. I can make spaghetti!"

Theta sighed. "We had spaghetti _last_ time we ate at home. Why don't I make us something else? Lasagna, maybe?"

"But spaghetti is more fun to eat," Caboose argued.

"Lasagna is fun to _make_," Theta said. "You can lay out the noodles, that's the best part."

"Okay…"

"It'll be delicious, I promise." She leaned against his chest and snuggled closely.

"I believe you."

They watched television for a few minutes, Caboose flipping channels until it landed on a cooking show. He laughed as the chef berated one of contestants, going off on them while swearing profusely.

"You like this show?" Theta asked.

"He reminds me of Church," Caboose explained. "See, he's mean, but not _really_, he just wants people to do their best. But he likes yelling, and doesn't like it when people don't listen to him. Just like Church!"

"Yeah, I see the resemblance." Theta chuckled, lightly scratching his chest through his t-shirt.

Caboose muted the television and looked down at her. "Hey, uh…do you think…we could…"

"Could what?" she asked, sitting up a little, her hand still on his chest.

"I was hoping we could…do that thing you did the other day, that felt really good," Caboose said in a rush, his cheeks turning pink.

"That thing…_oh_." Theta grinned. "Sure!"

He reached out and held her face in his hands, pulling her towards him for a kiss. Their lips met and he slid his hands back to behind her head, holding her close. Theta moved her hands up into his hair and grabbed small handfuls, tugging on it slightly as they continued kissing, and she swung her leg up over his lap so she was straddling him. She broke the kiss and shifted, lightly sucking at his neck as she pulled back on his hair. Caboose moaned and she hummed into his neck, smiling inwardly.

"Theta—can we…um…"

"We can do whatever we want," she said, sitting up so she could smile down at him. "That's the best part of dating, we can have fun together."

Caboose grinned, his face flushed. "It _is_ fun," he agreed, leaning up to kiss her neck, biting her shoulder softly. "I like having fun with you," he whispered, sliding his hands down her backside.

"I like having fun with you too," she whispered back, pressing against him. She let out a shriek as Caboose pushed himself off the couch, standing up, his hands holding her firmly so that she wouldn't fall. He walked them back towards the bedroom as they kissed passionately, nearly tripping over Freckles, who had been napping in the hallway. He started barking but Caboose quickly shut the door behind them, leaving him whining from the hallway.

**Part 85 – Late July 2013**

Carolina stared up at the blue and yellow crepe paper lazily hung across the apartment, shaking her head. "I thought I said _no party_."

"Too bad!" Theta shouted. Caboose blew on a party favor and she sighed. Grif and Simmons were in the kitchen setting up something that she couldn't quite see.

"Come on guys, it's just going to be too sad. I _told_ you I didn't want a party."

"Well, you're getting one anyway, so shut up and blow out the candles," Grif said, carrying over a small cake on a tray. She saw '_Good riddance!_' written across the top in blue frosting and smiled.

"Why _candles_?"

"Because candles are _festive_," Grif insisted. "Come on, I don't want to hold this all day."

Carolina rolled her eyes and leaned forward, blowing out the five candles that were flickering on top of the cake. Caboose and Theta clapped as Simmons took the cake from Grif, carrying it back into the kitchen to cut it.

"Thanks you guys," she said, looking up at the decorations again. "This is really sweet."

"We're gonna miss you," Theta said, walking over to hug her tightly. "Are you going to let us visit you in the new house?"

"Of course! Just let us get settled in first. I was thinking of inviting everyone out for the holidays," Carolina replied, hugging her back.

"Am _I_ invited?" Caboose asked timidly.

She smiled over at him and gestured for him to come give her a hug. As he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, she pat his back. "Of course you are. You're dating Theta, that's a given."

"But…what about Church? I can't leave him alone for Christmas."

"Well…we'll talk about it, okay?"

"Okay." Caboose pulled away and she saw he looked sad.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just going to miss you," he said softly.

"I'm going to miss you too, but I'll see you again. I'll try to visit soon."

"Okay." He seemed a little happier at that and she smiled, squeezing his arm.

"Presents now?" Theta asked, thrusting a small box towards her. Carolina took it, smiling.

"You didn't have to get me anything—"

"Just open it!" Caboose shouted happily. "You can't have a party without presents!"

She shrugged and pulled the wrapping paper off the small box, dropping it onto the nearby table. Opening the lid, she pulled out a USB drive with a ribbon around it. "What's this?" she asked, confused.

"Okay, so, we didn't have time to get them printed, but that's full of pictures," Theta explained, pointing to it. "Caboose and I went around the city and got pictures of all your favorite places and food and pretty much everything that would remind you of New York. Grif and Simmons helped too," she added. "They told us where North and Maine got engaged, and a few other spots too. And of course, there's pictures of all of us on there too."

"You _guys_!" Carolina felt herself tearing up as she clutched the drive. "That's…that's incredibly sweet. Thank you so much."

"I know it's a crappy gift since you'll have to print them out yourself, but that means you can pick your favorites since there's like, 500 pictures on there."

"_Wow_."

"We took a lot of photos," Caboose agreed, smiling. "Can we look at them later?"

"How about after we have some cake?"

"_Cake_!" Caboose headed for the kitchen, excitedly murmuring about cake. Carolina looked over at Theta as she tucked the drive into her pocket.

"How are things going between you two?" she asked.

"Really good," Theta replied, blushing slightly. "We're taking things slow, but…I feel good about it."

"That's great! He's really sweet, I'm glad you guys are together."

"He _is_ really sweet," she agreed.

"How're you getting along with Church? I hope it's not awkward or anything."

"It's not. Honestly, we barely ever see him. He got promoted to run a different center so he's working nights now, doing tech support or something. I think I've talked to him twice all summer."

"Oh." Carolina smiled. "I'm glad he's keeping busy."

"Yeah, I guess so. It's better than him always being around to yell at Caboose, anyway. He said that Church was thinking of moving out, but I don't think that's going to go anywhere. He'd never abandon Caboose like that."

"No, I don't think he would." She glanced over at Caboose, who was happily eating a slice of cake, talking to Grif about some video game. "Well…have you guys talked about anything like that? Moving in together, or—"

"Oh, _no_," Theta said, shaking her head. "We just started dating a couple months ago, that's way too fast for us."

"Yeah, I guess it _has_ only been a couple months. Sorry, it just seems like you guys have been together a lot longer. You're really great together."

Theta smiled. "Thanks. So are you and York. Speaking of—have you started thinking about wedding stuff?"

She looked down at the ring, shaking her head. Theta had been the first person to know when she got back to New York. "Not yet. I'm more focused on getting moved and finding a job and starting all of that. We haven't even talked about wedding stuff yet."

"I didn't think so. Oh well, it's still exciting!" Theta exclaimed. Carolina smiled, nodding in agreement.

"Bitch, get over here and eat some going-away cake," Grif called out, waving a fork in her direction. She rolled her eyes and grabbed Theta's sleeve, pulling her over to the kitchen. Grif handed her a plate with a slice of cake and she dug in.

(b)

"I really didn't think it would be this hard," Carolina cried out, holding Theta tightly. She could feel Theta shaking slightly as well.

"It'll be fine," Theta told her, her voice thick. "We'll see you soon, I promise."

"I know." Carolina pulled back, wiping her eyes with the heel of her hand. "I just…fuck, this is harder than I thought."

Her apartment room had been cleaned, repainted and was ready for whenever Grif and Simmons found a new roommate. The stuff she'd wanted to keep was already shipped to the new house so it would be waiting for them when they got there. She'd opted to leave her furniture behind and gave Theta her bed, which was an upgrade for her, and sold the rest, since she and York had agreed to invest in nicer furniture for the house. She had a couple suitcases of clothes and random things to last her for two weeks while she was in California. Simmons had driven the five of them to the airport to say good-bye.

"We're really glad you were our roommate for the past two years," Simmons said, hugging her next. "You were really awesome to live with."

"Says _you_," Grif complained. "I never had to do more chores than while she lived here."

"Oh, I'll miss you _too_," Carolina said, walking over to where Grif was pouting on a nearby bench. "Come on, at least give me hug."

Grif rolled his eyes and huffed as he got to his feet, wrapping his arms around her. She held him as he hugged her tightly.

"Thanks for putting up with us," he whispered, squeezing her.

"Same to you," she whispered back.

"I'm gonna miss you."

"I'll think of you every time I eat Oreos," she assured him, kissing him on the cheek as he pulled away. He laughed and nodded, looking down at the ground to avoid looking her in the eye.

"You should probably get going," Simmons said, gesturing towards the security gates. She nodded and wiped her eyes again, a fresh feeling of sadness washing over her.

"Cheer up!" Caboose said, taking her hand. "I don't want to be sad, but you're making me sad."

"I'm sorry," she said, smiling. "I'll be happier. I'll see you guys soon, okay?"

Caboose pulled her into a tight hug, patting her back. "Say hi to Nick Fury for me!" he said happily.

"I will," she laughed, pulling away. "Okay, you guys. I'll call when I land, okay?"

"Okay." Theta squeezed her hand. "See you soon."

"See you soon," she echoed, grabbing her carry-on bag. She walked towards the security lines, unable to bring herself to look back at her friends.

**Part 86 – Mid August 2013**

"Hey, babe, you okay?" York asked, adjusting his tie. He leaned over in the mirror and grinned at her. "Come on, cheer up."

"I'm fine," she replied, staring at their reflections. She'd just finished putting on some mascara and eyeliner, and was fidgeting with the straps of her dress. "Just stressed."

"About a party?"

"It's a _going away_ party, so yes," she replied with a frown.

"Babe, it's gonna be _fine_. All our friends are going to be there, and we'll get to say goodbye to everyone, and besides—most of them are probably going to visit in the first three months we live there, so really, it's not going to be that different from when you moved to New York."

"But—"

"No buts, unless it's this one," York said, smacking her ass. "Now come on, I'm ready to go. We need to meet everyone soon."

"_Fine_."

When she came out of the bedroom she found York standing in the living room, leaning against the kitchen counter. The place was completely emptied, since the U-Haul truck he'd rented was downstairs and completely packed with furniture and boxes. Only a few nails or patches of freshly-dried paint remained on the walls, and their suitcases were on the floor of the dining room, their clothes mostly packed for the next day. They'd just have to toss them in the truck when they left the next morning.

"This is really weird," York commented as she crossed the floor, taking his hand. "It's just so _empty_. I can't believe this is our last night here."

"Yeah, sleeping on the floor hasn't been the best for my back," she complained. The bed had been packed a couple of days earlier and they'd been using blankets for support.

"Me neither. Okay, we ready?" He kissed her cheek and tugged her towards the door.

"Yeah. Let's get going." She grabbed her purse on the way out the door, following behind him.

(b)

They trudged up the stairs to North and Maine's apartment, holding hands tightly as though each was were afraid the other was going to make a run for it. As they stood in front of the door, York turned to look down at Carolina, smiling timidly.

"Ready?"

"I guess so."

York reached up and knocked on the door, taking a deep breath. After a moment he frowned; no one was answering it.

"Hello?" he shouted through the door. "Anyone home? North?"

"Maybe we're too early?" Carolina suggested.

York pulled his phone out of his pocket, checking the time. "No, we're actually a few minutes _late_." He put the phone away and reached for the door, finding it unlocked. "What the hell?"

Carolina shrugged and pushed it open, stepping inside. A second later her vision was flooded with bright lights and sounds of shouting filled the air.

"_Happy birthday_!" everyone was screaming as they entered the apartment, bunches of confetti flying through the air towards them. Carolina laughed as her vision adjusted to the scene before them, everyone standing in a group near the door, blowing on party favors and throwing confetti.

"What the fuck?" she cried out, confused.

"It's a belated birthday party!" Dakota shouted, rushing over to sweep her up in her arms. She nearly knocked over North, who had been on his way to be the first to hug her.

"But—"

"Yeah, we know your birthday was months ago, but we didn't get to celebrate," CT explained, hugging her next. North stood to the side, pouting. "Besides, this is happier than a fucking going away party, so just enjoy it!"

"Uh, okay!" Carolina grinned. "Thanks, you guys!"

"Our pleasure," Maine said, nodding. "We have cake and drinks and snacks in the kitchen, if you're hungry."

"Oh, _fuck_ yes, _cake_," York shouted, running over to the kitchen. North finally edged his way over to Carolina and picked her up, hugging her fiercely.

"Missed you_ so_ much," he whispered, hugging her so tightly she could barely breathe. She chuckled, hugging him back.

"Missed you too, sweetie," she whispered back. He set her down and wiped his eyes.

"I don't want you to go," he said sadly. "Who's going to help Maine when I get too whiny?"

"I've learned to deal with you on my own," Maine said, appearing behind North. He kissed North on the cheek and smiled. "Come on, Lina, let's get some cake."

"Okay." She looped her arm through his and they went towards the kitchen. York handed her a slice of cake and she smiled, giving him a thank-you kiss. She noticed Wash was missing, but figured he was just running late.

(b)

"So how excited are you guys to have your own _house_?" Lee asked, taking another bite of cake. She and Dakota were sitting at the dining room table holding hands, talking with Carolina and York while the others milled around the apartment. North was busy trying to brush confetti off everything onto the floor so he could vacuum later.

"It's really exciting," York agreed, leaning against Carolina's shoulder. "I'm even looking forward to decorating, and I _hate_ doing stuff like that."

"Oh, whatever, you already know _I'm_ going to be the one doing most of the decorating," Carolina chided.

"I feel like you guys have been AWOL for the longest time," York said, glaring at Dakota. "Seriously, where have you been? You skipped out on brunch a couple weeks ago. I don't think North has forgiven you yet."

Dakota shrugged. "Just been busy," she said, averting her gaze. Lee nudged her and she shook her head.

"What's going on?" Carolina asked, suspicious.

"Nothing," Dakota replied.

"Sweetie—"

"Not _now_, Lee."

"_Fine._" Lee looked like she was about to lecture Dakota but her phone started ringing and she looked down at it, frowning. "To be continued," she threatened, standing up to answer the phone in private.

"Is everything okay?" York asked as Lee walked away. Dakota shrugged.

"Yeah, don't worry about it."

The front door opened and Carolina glanced over her shoulder to see Wash strolling in with a girl she didn't recognize, his arm around her waist. "Hey everyone! Sorry we're late, traffic was bad," he apologized, looking around the room. "Where's—oh, there she is! Lina!"

She stood up, her arms crossed over her chest. "And where have _you_ been?" she teased, smiling. Wash let go of the girl and ran over, grabbing her up in a huge hug.

"_I've_ _missed you so much_!" Wash shouted, swinging her around in a twirl. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"You too!" Carolina laughed, hugging him tightly. "You hardly ever call anymore!"

"Oh, yeah, I've been kind of busy. About that—" He set her down and gestured for the girl to come over. "Carolina, this is Georgia. Georgia, Lina. Now go be best friends," he urged, walking over to the kitchen for a slice of cake. York stood up from the table and poked Georgia's arm.

"Good to see you again," he said, hugging her. She smiled and nodded.

"You too! And it's so great to finally meet the famous Carolina! Wash has told me_ so much_ about you." Georgia hugged her and Carolina laughed.

"Oh god, I hope only good things."

"Eh, a little of both," she said with a chuckle. "But really, it's so nice to finally meet you. I feel like I already know you."

"Which is funny, because this is the first time he's mentioned _you_," Carolina said, shooting a glare towards Wash. He caught the look and turned pink.

"Well, I'll apologize on his behalf," Georgia said.

"Oh, it's okay. I'll just give him shit later. So, how long have you guys been together?"

"Uh, since…" Georgia went quiet for a moment. "March? Yeah, that seems right. I'm so terrible with remembering dates," she explained. "But we just moved in together, so I guess it doesn't really matter."

"Oh, that's so great! I'm glad to see Wash so happy." Carolina smiled and glanced over at the kitchen, where Wash was helping pour drinks. "He deserves it."

"I'm sure I won't live up to his impossible standards of relationships," Georgia said with a chuckle.

"What do you mean?"

"No, it's nothing specific, it's just—I don't know. You two dated, right?"

"Yeah…only for a few months though. It's…kind of complicated."

"No, I know, he explained what happened with you and York. I kind of understand…well, I mean, I've never been in _that_ sort of situation before, but after I met York and now having met you, I think I get it."

"Get what, exactly?"

Georgia shook her head. "It's hard to explain. The way Wash talks about you…at first, it was sort of hard to listen to, because I could tell he still loved you. But then I met York and the way _he_ talks about you, it's totally different. I hadn't even met you and I could tell you and York were meant to be together. I could just _tell_. And then with Wash…well, I started really listening to his stories, and I finally realized they weren't about _love_, they were more about _respect_, I guess, if I had to put a name to it. Wash really cares about you as a person, about the things you've accomplished, and part of me is kind of worried I won't be able to reach that level, you know?"

Carolina shook her head. "I think I get it. But I wouldn't worry about Wash's standards. If anything, I set the bar really _low_. Trust me."

Georgia laughed, reaching out to squeeze Carolina's arm. "I appreciate the support. I really like Wash."

"Have you said—."

"To be honest, I love him. I really do." Georgia looked slightly embarrassed and Carolina smiled. "I know it's really fast, but….I can see a future with him, and I sort of hope things _continue_ fast. You know? Like…I can't wait to see where we'll be in two months, or six months, or a year." She looked down at the ground and tangled her fingers together in front of her waist. "I don't know. I have no idea if he feels the same way or not. He probably wants to take things slow."

Carolina thought for a moment, watching York and Wash laughing over something together, York's arm around Wash's shoulders. "You know what? I don't think slow is what Wash needs."

"What?"

"Well, slow hasn't really worked out well for him in the past. He told you about us, right?" Georgia nodded. "See, _because_ he wanted to take things slow, I missed out on what might have been a really great relationship with him. I'll never know, and that's okay—but I don't want him to miss out on what could be a really _amazing_ relationship," she said, looking straight at Georgia, who smiled. "Maybe you should just take the relationship by the balls and go for it."

Georgia looked thoughtful for a minute. "I really like your line of thinking."

Carolina laughed. "Well, that's good. Just think about it. Hey, I really need a drink," she said, realizing how thirsty she was. "Do you want anything?"

"No thanks."

She nodded and headed for the kitchen, leaving Georgia standing there, lost in thought.

(b)

"What are they doing?"

York shrugged, handing a slice of cake to Maine. "Standing there and talking. That's what they were doing when you asked three minutes ago."

"What are they talking about?" Wash asked, frowning.

"Dude, if I knew the answer to that, I'd be God. As it stands, I try to never get involved when girls are talking to each other. It's probably about us."

"Oh shit." Wash paled. "Really? I mean, I told Georgia everything about me and Carolina and you, but—"

"You _told_ her all that?" York laughed. "Wow, are you _trying_ to get dumped?"

"She _asked_!"

"Dude, you just gave her ammo. You realize that, right?"

"What?!"

"Anytime you ever have a fight, she's gonna pull out the whole 'you still love Carolina!' bullet or something similar. You really are an idiot."

"You're wrong." Wash shook his head. "She's not like that. Come on, obviously they're getting along. And they're even smiling!"

"You know how Carolina is," York smirked and threw his arm around Wash's shoulders. "Whatever, it's not a big deal. I'm just teasing you, man."

"Yeah, thanks," Wash replied, laughing nervously. They saw the girls look over at them and both of them were smiling. "Really helpful there."

"My pleasure."

"Hey, if you two are done bonding, can I get a fuckin' drink?" CT asked, leaning over the counter. Wash scowled and handed her a plastic cup with a mix drink in it. "Geez, finally, bunch of weirdos," she muttered, walking away to rejoin Brandon, who was talking to Dakota and Lee.

"So, how's life treating you these days?" York asked, nudging Wash's shoulder with his own. "All moved in with the girlfriend?"

"Yeah, it's really great. I mean, the constant sex isn't even the best part."

"You aren't doing it right, then," York laughed, slapping his back. Wash blushed, shaking his head.

"Shut up! I meant, like, the _closeness_ is the best part. We talk about everything, and it's so amazing having someone who really gets me, you know? I imagine that's how you feel about Lina."

York nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

"I'm kind of worried Georgia doesn't feel the same way though." Wash shrugged, picking up a fork to poke at the leftover cake. "I don't know. Maybe we're moving too fast. It _has_ only been since March. And we moved in together after like, three months."

"Hey, fast isn't always bad," York said, shaking his head. "Look at where slow got me, after all. I wasted _months_ pining after Lina. You've got to just go for it when you know."

"Yeah, maybe."

Carolina came walking up to them with a gigantic grin. "Hey, can I get a drink?" she asked. York handed her a cup and she drank it quickly. "_God_ I was thirsty. Hey, sweetie, can I talk to you for a sec?" she asked. York nodded and came around the counter, taking her hand as they walked to a corner of the room. Wash remained in the kitchen, poking at the cake. A small chunk fell off the side and he picked it up, popping it into his mouth as Georgia came over, a pensive look on her face.

"Hey hon," Wash greeted, pulling her into a hug. She held him tightly.

"Hey."

"Is everything okay?" He looked down at her and she nodded, still looking thoughtful.

"Yeah. I just had a good talk with Carolina. It's fine." She smiled up at him, shaking her head slightly. "How are you?"

"Good. Just hanging out with York." He glanced over to the empty space next to him. "Well, I _was_."

She nodded again, remaining silent. They held each other and he rested his head on her shoulder.

"Wash—"

"Georgia—"

They both laughed, pulling away from each other. "You first," she said.

"No, ladies first."

"Really, _you_ go first." Georgia hopped up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "I insist."

Wash shrugged, his arms still wrapped around her waist. "I just wanted to say how much I love you, and I'm really happy with you, and I think you're amazing."

"Well, _that's_ rude."

"What—"

"That's exactly what _I_ was going to say," she said with a smirk. Wash laughed and lifted her off the ground, feeling her arms wrap around his neck as they kissed. "Although, I _did_ have something else I wanted to talk to you about…"

(b)

It was nearing eleven o'clock and everyone seemed to be getting tired. CT and Brandon had been talking about leaving for a good twenty minutes, but hadn't moved off the couch, too tired to actually go anywhere. Lee turned to Dakota and frowned. They'd been sitting against the wall outside the kitchen, discussing when to tell everyone.

"Well, as amazing as this has been, we have an early start tomorrow," York finally said, standing up from the floor where he and Carolina had been lying next to North, talking about Colorado. He helped Carolina to her feet and she yawned. "We should probably—"

"Wait a second," Dakota interrupted, standing up. She grabbed Lee's hand and hauled her to her feet, shaking her head. "I, uh…we have something to tell everyone. It's important."

"Go ahead," Maine urged from the kitchen, where he'd been stacking plastic cups to throw away.

"Well…" She looked at Lee, who just nodded at her. "Lee and I…uh…we're kind of…_moving_."

"Did you guys find a house?" CT asked, perking up. "You were talking about it before—"

"No, not really." Dakota frowned. "We, uh…" She put an arm around Lee's waist and pulled her close. "We're moving to Japan."

The room exploded in shouts and exclamations as Dakota winced, holding on tighter to Lee, who was pressing herself closer to Dakota. "Everyone _shut up_," she shouted a second later, waiting for everyone to stop yelling. "Okay. Now listen. Lee finished her teaching certification and she's fluent in Japanese, which I think a couple of you know." She looked at North, who shrugged. "She got accepted into JET, which is a program where people like Lee can go to Japan and teach English. We're going to be gone for at least a year, and depending on how it goes, we may have the option to extend another year or two."

"When are you leaving?" Carolina cried out, looking upset.

"Next week..."

"_What_? Why didn't you say something _earlier_?" Wash said angrily.

"Well, we didn't want to intrude on the whole 'York and Carolina moving' thing," Lee mumbled. "It's not that big of a deal, really."

"Not that big of a deal? You're moving to _Japan_!" CT shouted. "What am I supposed to do without you here? If you leave, then _both_ of my best friends will be gone!"

"CT—"

"And how am I going to plan the wedding without my _maid of honor_?"

"Bigger picture, sweetie," Brandon admonished, patting her hand.

"Look, this is an amazing opportunity for Lee, and I'm going with her, end of story." Dakota leaned over and they kissed, holding each other closely. "It's not like we won't be around. We'll probably come visit during the holidays, and of course we're going to come home for your wedding," she said, looking at CT, who was still pouting. "And you can always reach us on the phone, and we'll Skype as often as we can with all of you. Especially you two," she directed at Carolina and York, who nodded.

"I'd really appreciate your support," Lee finally said. "This is what I've wanted to do for a long time now, and I'm really excited about it. And so grateful Dakota agreed to come with me." She nuzzled against Dakota's cheek.

"Of _course_ we're supportive," Maine said, walking over to sweep the two of them up in a hug. "Let us know if there's anything you need."

"Well, we actually _do_ need a place to store a few things while we're gone," Lee admitted. "Do you think we could put some stuff in your spare room for a little while?"

"Of course," North said, laughing. "Good to know that's all we're good for."

"Oh, whatever," Dakota said, shaking her head.

"I really wish you'd told us this sooner," Carolina said, pulling Dakota into a tight hug. She buried her face against her shoulder, trying to stay calm. "I hate that you thought it'd be better to wait until we're about to leave."

"That's what _I_ said," Lee grumbled from beside them. York hugged her and she sighed. "I'm really sorry it had to come out this way. But look at it this way—we're both starting on new adventures and they're going to be super awesome!"

"Yeah," York agreed, smiling. "They are. Congrats, you guys."

"Thanks," Dakota said, hugging Carolina tightly. "We're gonna miss everyone. I promise we'll keep in touch."

"You _better_," Wash warned, shaking his head. "Who else is going to tease me about stupid shit if both you _and_ York are leaving?"

"I will," Maine assured him. Wash stuck his tongue out at him as Maine smiled, patting his shoulder.

York let go of Lee and tapped Carolina on the shoulder, frowning at her. "I think we should get going, it's late," he said quietly, taking her hand as Dakota finally extracted herself from her grip.

"You're right." She wiped her eyes on the back of her hand and smiled. "Well, I guess this is it."

Maine hugged her again, lifting her off the ground to squeeze her tightly. "Call us the second you get to the new house," he ordered. She nodded and kissed his cheek before he set her down, turning away to go back into the kitchen. Carolina could swear she saw tears, but didn't say anything.

Everyone took turns hugging goodbye, and each hug lasted longer than the previous one. When it was Wash's turn to say goodbye he smiled at Carolina, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.

"I'm going to miss you so much," he whispered, hugging her. She nodded and held him close.

"I'm gonna miss you more," she whispered back. "I'm so glad we're still friends, did I ever tell you that?"

"I assumed," he replied, chuckling.

"Take care of Georgia," she told him, pulling away. "She's really great."

"I think she is too. And I'd be more worried about her hurting _me_," he laughed. "I'm pretty much screwed, I love her so much."

"You have no idea how happy that makes me to hear you say that," Carolina said with a smile.

York reached over and grabbed Wash's hand, pulling him into a bear hug. Wash's eyes went wide for a second but he relaxed into the hug. "You okay there, man?"

"You're my best friend, and I want you to know that," York said quietly, still holding him, hands locked behind Wash's back. "I'm really sorry about everything that went down between us but I'm so grateful everything worked out, and I'm really going to miss you, and I love you."

"Love you too, York," Wash replied, patting his back. "I promise we'll see each other soon."

"What about _me_?" North complained, pouting. York laughed and moved one arm away from Wash, gesturing for North to join in. He complied and fit himself next to the other two, wrapping his arms around them, one arm around the back of each of them.

"Thanks for putting up with me for so long," York told North, touching their foreheads together. "You're the best friend a guy could have."

"You too," North said, smiling. "I'm so grateful to have you guys for best friends."

"Friends forever?" Wash said, laughing when he saw the amused look on York's face.

"Friends forever," York and North said together, and the trio broke apart, laughing. They looked over to see Carolina, CT, and Dakota in a similar position, the other two girls sandwiching Carolina between them.

"I don't want you two to leave!" CT wailed, her hands clenched on Dakota's shoulders. Carolina was laughing over something Dakota had said and leaned her head back against CT's shoulder.

"It's gonna be okay," she said. "We can go visit Dakota in Japan!"

"Yeah, that's not going to happen in the tiny housing we've got," Dakota said, shaking her head. "But we'll definitely be coming home to see you guys, and I can't wait to see the new house!"

"You're going to come help decorate," Carolina told CT, laughing.

"Sounds good." CT hugged the two of them. "Okay, shit, we keep holding you guys up. You should go." She wiped her eyes as the group broke apart, and Brandon came over to hold her against his chest, his hands on her hips. "Love you, Lina."

"Love you too, CT. And you, Dakota," she added, seeing Dakota start to pout. "I'll call you guys when we get there, okay? And Lee, you make sure you guys call us when you settle into Japan."

"Will do," Lee promised. "Now go get some sleep, you're driving a really long way."

York stood tall and saluted the group, grinning. "Good night, and we'll talk to you all soon," he said, taking Carolina's hand. "And now, off to Colorado!"

"Well, after we sleep," Carolina added, laughing. "Good night, everyone."

Shouts of goodbyes followed them as they left, shutting the door behind them. Carolina sagged against it for a second, sighing. York looked back at her, still holding her hand. "Babe?"

"Yeah."

"Are you okay?"

She smiled up at him and stood up straight, nodding. "I will be. Just emotional."

"I know. We've just got to push through it. Think of all the new, exciting things in store for us." York kissed the top of her head. "First house, first time we buy groceries in the new city, first time we go on a date, first time we have sex at the house…"

She laughed and raised herself up to kiss him. "Lots of new firsts," she agreed.

"First time we have a kid, first time the kid walks, first time—"

"Okay, one thing at a time," Carolina interrupted, shaking her head. York laughed and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her in for a passionate kiss.


	52. Chapter 52

**Part 87 – Early October 2013**

"You know, I really didn't think we had this much stuff," York complained, hands on his hips, looking critically at the pile of boxes in the garage.

"Yeah, I'd forgotten I put some stuff in storage when I moved to New York, so that's probably what a lot of this is," Carolina said, patting his back. "But we've got to finish unpacking at some point."

"_Ugh_," York whined, shaking his head. "Can't we just burn down the garage and buy new stuff with the insurance check?"

"Well, that's _one_ idea, but considering we sort of need the garage, I'm gonna say no."

"But we only have the one car! It'll be fine outside!"

Carolina sighed, still sad that she'd sold her car years earlier when she'd moved. "No, sweetie."

"You suck."

"Mmhmm. Come on, let's start going through some of this."

"I don't want to waste my entire Sunday organizing," York continued complaining. "I worked all week, I need a break!"

"We _had_ a break Friday night _and_ last night, so suck it up." Carolina gestured to the frame of a twin bed sitting in the corner. "Get that upstairs and assemble it in the spare room, and afterwards I'll make you some lunch and we can relax for a bit, okay?"

"By 'relax' can you mean 'have sex'?"

"…Sure."

"_Sweet_." York went over to the bed frame and picked up one of the larger wooden beams. "Okay, can you help me get this untangled first?"

She sighed and stood up from where she'd been crouched over a box of summer clothes, going over to move a few things out of the way so he could drag the beam towards the open garage door. Unfortunately it was a detached garage so it was going to be a slightly longer path to get the stuff inside. York started dragging wood across the floor of the garage as she knelt down next to the boxes again, rifling through a few to see what was inside.

(b)

Nearly two months into living in Colorado, they'd settled into a good routine. York was now running the newest center for Delta Financial Group, only about thirty minutes away from the house on a bad day, which meant he could sleep in most days and still make it to work on time. He was usually home by six-thirty, and he and Carolina would make dinner or go out to eat, exploring the city. York was having fun showing her all the old places he used to go during college, though some of them were now gone, lost to time or the health inspector.

Carolina opened the fridge to pour herself and York some water (she'd discovered that Colorado water was amazing, and she could drink it right out of the tap, which made her do a happy dance the first day they'd lived there) and smiled at the post card stuck to the door with a heart-shaped magnet. It showed a view of Mount Fuji, and had a note scrawled on the back by Dakota, updating them on hers and Lee's adventures in Japan. They'd settled relatively quickly and the school kids already loved Lee, which made Dakota liked by default by the other JET teachers.

"So when are they supposed to be here?" York asked, coming into the kitchen. He wiped his hands on a towel hanging from the stove bar and gratefully took a glass of water from Carolina. She put the container back in the fridge and checked the white-board calendar they'd hung on the connected wall.

"Uh, 5 o'clock on Friday. You're still going to be at work, right?"

"Well, I can get out a little early. It makes more sense for me to go get them than it does for them to take a shuttle somewhere close, or god forbid take a cab back here. It would cost an arm and a leg."

"Okay, I'll text him and tell him to just text you the flight information, so you know what gate to park near."

"Sounds good. Gonna get back to the bed now, almost got it figured out. Would really help to have saved the instructions."

"I've had that bed since I was like, eighteen. Any instructions would have been long gone by now. How hard can it be to line up giant pieces of wood?"

"Harder than you think," York said, raising an eyebrow. "Anyway, come check on me in twenty minutes, make sure I haven't been crushed or something."

"Sounds good. I'll start reheating the chili from last night."

"Oh _man_, chili leftovers!" York pumped a fist. "Sounds _amazing_. I swear, leftovers are even more delicious than the original meal sometimes."

Carolina laughed and pushed him out of the kitchen. "Go on, get finished up there so we can watch a movie or something. Then we've got to organize the bookshelves so they're not tripping over piles of DVDs and games. I already hate that it took us this long to buy a proper bookcase."

"_Fine_, fine." York disappeared up the spiral staircase and she went back into the kitchen, going through the fridge to find the bowl of chili. She scooped the leftovers into a fresh pot and set it on the new glass-top stove, leaving it to simmer while she dug through the over-stuffed pantry to find bread and garlic.

(b)

"Are you serious?" Carolina clutched her copy of 'The Court Jester' to her chest, shaking her head. "I'm not getting rid of my movies to make room for yours! Toss one of yours!"

"_Hell_ no, I'm not getting rid of 'Highlander' for your stupid comedies!"

"_Stupid_? This is a _classic_!"

York shook his head, snatching it out of her grip. "Fine, let's do this. Instead of alphabetizing _all_ the movies on one shelf, we'll just each have a section. It'll be like we're roommates in a really big house."

"I don't _want_ to be roommates, I want to be a _married couple_ who can sort out their shit," Carolina shot back.

"Well, we're _not_ married yet, so that's just _one_ of the problems in that sentence." She pouted until he relented, setting her movie on the shelf next to his copy of 'Cabin in the Woods.' "Good god, this is going to be an uphill battle the entire time, isn't it?" he said, picking up another stack of movies to sort through.

"Well, if you keep acting like this, then _yes_."

"Shut up."

"Make me!"

He dropped the movies and lunged at her, tackling her to the ground. Her foot caught the corner of the bookshelf and she yelped in pain as the impact jostled a few rows of DVDs out and onto the carpet, scattering around them as they rolled around, locked in a wrestling match.

(b)

The screen was blank except for the image of the ringing phone as Carolina waited for someone to pick up. She checked the clock on the microwave, trying to do the mental math to see what time it would be for her.

"Hey!" Dakota screeched, causing Carolina to wince. "Awesome timing, I was just getting back from the grocery store. Gonna make some lunch for Lee, she has a break soon."

"I miss you guys," Carolina whined. "Sorry I didn't call you last week, I got busy painting the spare room. We went with the light blue, by the way."

"Oh, good, I'll tell Lee. She's convinced you were going to go with that hideous yellow."

"Nope, I won that battle."

"Phew." Dakota mimed wiping her brow. "Hang on a sec." She picked up the tablet and carried it over to their small kitchen, propping it up against something. "Okay, now I can cook. I may not be visible, but I can still hear you."

"So how's Japan going?" Carolina asked. "I heard Tokyo had an earthquake the other day."

"We did, but it wasn't a bad one. We've yet to have a bad one, and hopefully that trend continues." She knocked her knuckles against a wooden cutting board. "Anyway, how are you guys doing? You got all the painting done?"

"Yeah, that was last week. We also got most of the garage cleaned out, except for some random stuff that I have no idea where to put, and an exercise bike York picked up from a garage sale a couple of weeks ago. We haven't found him a gym yet, so he's excited to use that. I don't really care."

"That's…exciting, I guess?"

"We also hired a guy to come clean up the landscaping, since neither of us has any clue what to do first. He's supposed to be here tomorrow. The lawn is a disaster since York borrowed the neighbor's mower and gave up halfway through because of weeds."

"Oh, that's good!"

"It's so weird that you're actually _in_ 'tomorrow,'" Carolina said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, the time difference is so screwy. It's Thursday here but Wednesday there." She heard Dakota laugh, just out of frame. "I mean, I'm used to it now, but it was super annoying when we first got here."

"But you're settling in okay?"

"Yeah! The apartment is really tiny, but we're just getting used to not having as much stuff. We sold a ton of it before we left, so some people in California are blessed with some awesome furniture and clothes."

"That's one way to look at it," Carolina agreed.

They chatted for another fifteen minutes, catching up on events and gossip among the others, until Dakota had to go since Lee would be getting home soon for lunch. They said goodbye and promised to call the next week, and Carolina turned off her computer, looking around.

The house was pretty empty, considering they didn't have much furniture between the two of them. They'd bought a couch and dining room table set with matching chairs, but that was the biggest thing they'd bought. York had found a used washer and dryer set at an estate sale, as well as a new glass-top stove, so the kitchen was looking a little nicer than before. He'd tried to start working on a back porch before fall would set in but it was looking more like a job to figure out after winter, since he didn't have a lot of time to build an entire deck after work.

She stood up and walked upstairs, tossing her laptop on the bed. Going into the bathroom, she turned on the shower and closed the glass door, glancing down at the claw-footed tub. Briefly debating taking a bath instead, she kept the water running and went back into the bedroom to get undressed.

(b)

"I just picked them up, we'll be home in about half an hour," York said, the sounds of the airport almost louder than his voice on the phone. "Everything ready there?"

"Yeah, the guest bedroom's all set up and I just put clean sheets on the bed, and I pulled out the air mattress you bought, so that's ready to go too," she replied. "I don't think they'll both fit on the twin bed."

"Hey, you guys think you can share a twin bed?" she heard him ask. After a moment he came back on the line. "They say they can make it work, so we'll figure it out. Want me to pick up food on the way home?"

"No, I've got chicken going, remember?"

"Oh, right. Okay, see you soon. Love you!"

"Love you too!" They hung up and she checked the timer on the stove. The chicken had about 25 more minutes to bake, so she was right on schedule. Running over to the pantry, she pulled out a couple boxes of instant mashed potatoes, setting them on the counter as she turned on the pot of water with small corn on the cobs in it. Her phone beeped from the counter and she picked it up, reading a text from CT asking for an opinion on cake flavors. She rolled her eyes and wrote back, putting the phone down afterwards so she could check on the chicken.

(b)

Carolina was out on the front lawn, checking the mailbox that was on a pole just at the end of the driveway, when she spotted their car coming down the street. She shoved the mail back in the box and started waving her arms, watching the car pull into the driveway. Before the car had even stopped, Wash was jumping out of the passenger door and running around the back of the car, crashing into Carolina and sweeping her up into a gigantic hug.

"_Lina_!"

"_Wash_!" They held each other tightly, until she could barely breathe. Finally he let go of her, reaching up to pinch her cheek.

"Fucking _missed_ you," he said, grinning.

"Missed you_ more_," she replied, squeezing his arms. "And hey, look who you brought!"

Georgia was standing next to York, looking amused. "Hey!" she said, giving a little wave. Carolina rolled her eyes and walked over to her, hugging her tightly.

"Great to see you again!"

"You too! I know we just talked a few days ago, but still."

"Well, hanging out in person is always better than Skyping," Carolina said, watching Georgia nod in agreement. "Are you guys hungry? I've got dinner almost done."

"Fuck _yes_," Wash said. "The flight was too short to serve food, and we didn't eat beforehand."

"Yeah, because _you_ thought we'd be_ late_," Georgia admonished. York laughed and gestured for them to come inside. The four of them went up the walkway, entering the house.

"Wow, this place is huge!" Wash said, glancing in all directions. "I can't believe you seriously _own_ this place!"

"Well, we don't _technically_ since we're locked into a 30-year mortgage—"

"The sentiment remains the same, moron," Wash cut him off, shaking his head.

"I want the tour!" Georgia shouted, pumping her arms in the air. Carolina laughed and grabbed her by the arm, dragging her over to the kitchen to start.

(b)

"Oh my _god_, this is the best chicken ever—"

"Of all time," York, Carolina, and Georgia said together. Wash turned pink as they dissolved into laughter. Carolina wiped her eyes and picked up her wine glass, raising it towards the others.

"To great friends, who are willing to take the time out of their busy schedules to come visit a couple of old home-owners for a weekend," she toasted. Wash clinked his glass to hers and smiled as everyone took a sip of wine.

"If you're old, then that makes _me_ old, and _I'm not old_," Wash argued.

"You're _kind_ of old," Georgia teased.

"Hey, you're getting there too!"

"I'm only twenty-seven! You're almost thirty!"

"Ow, watch it with the 'thirty is old' insults," Carolina said, mimicking an arrow to the heart. York laughed, shaking his head.

"And I'm older than _all_ of you, so shut up," he said, taking a large sip of wine.

"See? I'm not the oldest one here," Wash said, reaching over to lightly hit Georgia on her shoulder, causing her to drop her fork on the plate. It clattered onto the porcelain and she shrieked, quickly retaliating with a slap to Wash's arm.

"You asshole!"

"You wanna go?"

"No, because I don't want to beat your ass in front of our friends," Georgia said, picking up her fork again. Wash let out a sharp laugh.

"Like you_ ever_ win!"

"I _always_ win!"

"Because I _let_ you!"

"Kids, kids," Carolina cut in, smiling. "No fighting at the dinner table. And no dessert until you finish your food."

Wash picked up his fork and started poking at his remaining potatoes on the plate. "You're not my _real_ mom," he muttered under his breath.

"Wow, good comeback," York said, standing up. "I'm getting seconds, anyone want any more food?"

"I'll take some more chicken," Wash said.

"What, you can't get your own food now?" Georgia teased.

"He _offered_!"

"I bet it's because he's old and can't walk anymore," she stage-whispered to Carolina, who sighed.

"You're really making me feel old now…"

"Hey, if I'm so old, why are you still here?" Wash said, poking her in the arm. "Did you marry me just for my money? If so, you're gonna be disappointed."

"Well, at least you're still cute, so I won't have to divorce you for another ten years or so. Plenty of time to rob you blind."

A clatter from behind Carolina interrupted whatever Georgia was going to say. They both looked over to see York standing behind her, having dropped his plate to the floor. Carolina's eyes were wide with shock, and her mouth was slightly open, her hand hovering above the table, having made it only halfway to her wine glass.

"You…did you—wait, what, I mean—_what_?!" York managed to sputter. Wash and Georgia looked at each other, both slightly pale.

"Whoops," Wash muttered.

"Yeah, that's our bad," Georgia said, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a small gold ring and held it up, and Wash dug in his pocket and held up a matching ring.

"We were going to tell you, but—"

"It was really sudden, I mean—"

"_Wait_." York held up his hand, cutting off both of them as he sat down at the table again, ignoring the pile of food on the floor. "Wait. Okay. Wait. I'm just...no, yes, I'm confused."

Georgia slipped the ring back on her finger, shrugging. "Guess we don't have to hide it anymore," she said, watching Wash put on his own ring. He smiled at her and nodded.

"I'm seriously confused," Carolina said. "You guys had just…I mean…when did this happen?"

"Three weeks ago," Wash admitted, settling back in his chair, reaching over to take Georgia's hand. "We were—well, do you want to tell the story, sweetie?"

"Sure," Georgia said, shrugging. "We were sort of in Vegas…"

(b)

_"Wow, I really shouldn't have had that second drink." Georgia dropped her head to the table, letting out a low groan. "I feel like I'm going to throw up."_

_"Are you at least drunk?" Wash asked. "I mean, if you're gonna get sick, you might as well be drunk to enjoy it." He sipped his own drink, a giant slushie in a tall, thin plastic cup. "Do you want something to eat?"_

_"I think I'll be fine." Georgia sat up, rubbing her eyes. "We should go on a walk, maybe that'll help. It usually does when I drink."_

_"Okay." He stood up and took her hand, leading her away from the table they'd stopped at outside one of the restaurants on the strip. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" he asked, sounding concerned. She smiled at him and nodded._

_"Yeah, I promise. It's just a headache."_

_"Okay, if you're sure."_

_"I am." She squeezed his hand reassuringly. Wash smiled at her and stared at a family walking ahead of them. The youngest daughter was bouncing around, holding onto the father's hand as she babbled about seeing M&M World. Georgia tugged on his hand and he turned to look at her. _

_"What's wrong?"_

_"Nothing. You just had a strange look on your face."_

_"Oh. Sorry, I was just watching the family," he said, gesturing in front of them._

_"Aw, that's cute. Do you want kids?"_

_"Someday, yeah. What about you?"_

_"Sure, someday."_

_They smiled at each other and he pulled her a little closer, letting go of her hand to rub her back. "Are you feeling better?" he asked._

_"Yeah, a little bit."_

_"Good."_

_They kept walking, coming up on the Paris hotel and casino. Georgia pointed up to the Eiffel Tower. "Ever wanted to go to Paris?"_

_Wash laughed. "Actually, you're gonna think this is silly, but…I always wanted to get married in Europe. Maybe in a castle, or actually at the Eiffel Tower…I didn't really care."_

_"Really?"_

_"Yeah." Wash shrugged, still rubbing small circles against her back. "I always thought it would be the most romantic thing ever. You know, whisk the girl away to Europe, get married, have our honeymoon in Spain, visit the beaches, stuff like that. I don't know."_

_"Sure sounds like you do," Georgia said, chuckling._

_"What, like you didn't have any dreams of your wedding?" Wash nudged her shoulder with his own. "Come on, spill."_

_"No, it's stupid."_

_"Come on, I'm sure it's not."_

_She sighed, looking up at him. "I wanted to get married at Disneyworld."_

_Wash laughed and she glared at him. "No, no, I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you, I'm just—I honestly didn't expect that. You don't strike me as the type to want a princess wedding."_

_"Well, I am! I always wanted to wear the big princess dress and marry a prince. It's stupid."_

_"It's not stupid, it's perfect." Wash leaned down and kissed her. "Maybe someday you'll marry your prince," he said, winking._

_"Oh, really?"_

_"Hey, you never know."_

_"Mmhmm." She frowned, reaching up to massage her temples. "You know what? I think I could use a nap. Do you mind if we go back to the hotel for a little while?"_

_"Of course not." He took her hand and they started walking back to their hotel, which was partway down the strip._

_ (b) _

_"Hey, sleepyhead."_

_Georgia opened her eyes and smiled, seeing Wash kneeling on the floor next to the bed. "Hey."_

_"Ready to get up?"_

_"Yeah, I think so." She sat up and stretched. "How long was I out?"_

_"A few hours. It's four o'clock."_

_"Oh, shit. I'm sorry, that wasted most of the afternoon."_

_"No, don't even worry about it." Wash shook his head. "I ran a few errands, so I stayed busy."_

_"Errands? What errands could you possibly have in Vegas?"_

_"I guess you'll have to see. Come on, get ready to go out." He stood up and went into the bathroom, and she heard the sink running a moment later. "You should redo your mascara," he shouted, and she reached up to touch her eyes, laughing._

_ (b) _

_"Come on, where are we going?"_

_"I told you, it's a surprise."_

_"This is ridiculous."_

_"Oh, whatever." Wash led her into one of the casinos, and she glanced around, realizing they were in the Paris hotel again. "Come on, we're almost there."_

_"What are you doing?" Georgia asked, shaking her head. "I'm so confused."_

_"You'll see." He let go of her hand so he could go talk to someone standing by the elevator bank. The person nodded and gestured for them to go up, and he grabbed her hand again, pulling her over to his side. He pressed the button and they got inside the elevator when it arrived. She watched him push the button for the second floor and frowned, reading the description of the floor._

_"Wash—"_

_He didn't have time to respond as the doors opened onto the floor of a large waiting room, and he pulled her out of the elevator, heading for one of the doorways. She started laughing as they entered a smaller room with a woman sitting behind the desk._

_"Can I help you?" she asked._

_"Yeah, I was here a little while ago—"_

_"Oh, yes! We were able to get them for you," she said, winking at Wash. "And is this the lucky lady?"_

_"She sure is," he replied, kissing Georgia's cheek. She snuggled against his chest, blushing furiously._

_"Great! I'll be right back."_

_"Are you serious?" Georgia said, looking up at him. Wash just grinned._

_"Of course I am. I love you, Georgia."_

_"I love you too, but—this is crazy. We've only been together for seven months! We just moved in together! You haven't had enough time to find out if I'm really a bitch or murder people or—"_

_He silenced her with another kiss. "Sweetie, you couldn't be a bitch if you _tried_, and I'm pretty sure you're not a serial killer. It wouldn't matter anyway. When I'm with you, I feel incredible, and I just want you to feel the same way."_

_"I already _do_—"_

_"Here we are!" The woman reappeared with two large garment bags in her arms. "There's an extra room right this way." She nodded her head in the direction of another door and they followed after her, holding hands._

_ (b) _

_"Come on sweetie, come out."_

_"No, this is ridiculous."_

_"It's what you wanted!"_

_"I didn't—I don't—no, this is too stupid!"_

_"Look, I'm stupid too. You've got to see this."_

_Georgia poked her head out from behind the curtain separating the room into two halves, seeing Wash standing near the doorway. He was dressed in a full prince outfit, looking like he stepped out of The Little Mermaid, complete with gold shoulder pauldrons and blue royal sash. She felt her heart skip a beat and risked it, stepping out from behind the curtain._

_The wedding dress fit like a glove, and had a full round skirt with a lace overlay. The shoulders were giant and puffy and the front of the dress was exploding with tulle, straight out of movie Enchanted. She'd kept her hair down, glad she'd taken the extra time to curl the ends and fix her makeup before they left._

_"You look…" Wash struggled to find words and she blushed, shaking her head._

_"Don't say it."_

_"Incredible," he finished, smiling so widely she was worried his cheeks would split. "You look absolutely incredible."_

_She did a little curtsy and lifted up the front of the dress, revealing that she was still wearing her green Chuck Taylors. Wash just laughed and grabbed her hand, dragging her out into the waiting room again._

_"We're ready," he told the woman, and she nodded, pointing to an older man standing near the exit._

_"Follow him, he'll be doing the ceremony." She grinned at the two of them, shaking her head. "And you look awesome, by the way."_

_"Thanks!" Wash said, leading them over to the man. He smiled at them and gestured for them to follow._

_ (b) _

_"This is crazy."_

_"Just go with it."_

_North rolled his eyes and waved his hand upwards. "A little higher, please." The security guard smiled and raised the phone so that North was almost eye-level with Wash. "No wait, a little lower. I can't quite see Georgia. You two look fantastic, by the way. _Loving_ the fairy tale thing."_

_"This is highly unusual," the minister said, chuckling._

_"We need a witness, right? He's my best friend and best man," Wash said, pointing to the phone. "I really appreciate this, by the way," he told the security guard, who just nodded. Wash looked out through the metal grates surrounding them, overlooking the city from the top of the Eiffel Tower._

_"I'm not even there and I'm getting vertigo," North complained. "Okay, go."_

_"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"_

_ (b) _

"I can't believe North didn't _tell us_," York said, shaking his head.

"Well, I threatened to tell everyone about—uh, never mind. That is, I've had some good blackmail in my back pocket for just such an occasion, so suffice it to say that North wasn't going to be telling everyone. Well, Maine knows, but it's not like _he_ talks much."

"That's just…wow." Carolina stood up and walked around the table, throwing her arms around Wash. "Congratulations, you guys! It's so awesome!"

"We're really happy," Georgia said, nodding. "It was just perfect. We both got what we wanted, and I have the most considerate, amazing husband _ever_. Husband," she repeated, giggling. "That's still weird to say!"

"Sure is, _wife_," Wash said, kissing her after Carolina let go of him.

"Wow. I never thought I'd be the last one to get married," York said, laughing. "Congratulations, you two."

"I wish everyone could have been there, but it was such a spur-of-the-moment thing," Wash said. "I just…I couldn't wait."

"I get it, man." York reached over and held up his arm, and they high-fived. "That's fucking cool."

"I'm going to go get a cake!" Carolina said, running over to the kitchen to grab her purse and keys. "I'll be right back! What flavor do you want?"

"Cheesecake," they both called out together. York laughed as they kissed, holding hands, their rings clicking together.


	53. Chapter 53

The rest of the weekend passed in a blur, showing Wash and Georgia around the city and talking about their wedding. Wash had some pictures on his phone and gleefully showed them off, walking them through the event with great detail. Afterward the ceremony they'd gotten pictures of the two of them walking around Vegas, still in full royal attire, and York got a kick out of seeing all the strangers in the photos waving and posing with them. Apparently some people thought they were part of a show, and they ended up going along with it.

"This was the best one," Georgia explained, pointing to the phone, the picture showing the two of them standing outside the Excalibur hotel, with a knight and a princess posing with them. "A little girl was freaking out because of all the royalty, and we signed her paper crown. It was _adorable_."

"So what did you do for the honeymoon?" Carolina asked. Wash and Georgia looked at each other and shrugged.

"I mean, Vegas _itself_ was kind of the honeymoon," Georgia said, smiling. "But we're saving up for another trip. We just haven't decided where yet."

"So does everyone else know about you two, or is it just us and North?"

"We haven't told everyone yet, no. I haven't figured out how to tell everyone, honestly. I was thinking of maybe…not?" Wash shrugged, holding Georgia close.

"Oh, come on! Why wouldn't you tell everyone?"

"Because it was really fast, and I don't want everyone to tease us," Wash said, frowning.

"No one's going to tease you!" Carolina insisted.

"Dakota?"

"Okay, _she_ probably will…"

"You could tell everyone at Christmas," York suggested. "Are you still coming out here for the holidays?"

Wash nodded. "I was going to come see my mom anyway, she moved to Colorado Springs so it's not too far to go see her. We might spend a couple days there before we come here, though, so Georgia can get to know her. You know, speaking of telling people, have you talked to Tyler yet?"

Georgia shook her head. "Yeah, I was thinking of…you know, _not _telling him right away…"

"He's gonna kill me," Wash said, shaking his head.

"No he won't!"

"Who's Tyler?" Carolina asked.

"Basically my older brother," Georgia explained. "My family has known his since we were kids, and his sister is my best friend. She's the only one I've told, but I made her swear not to tell Tyler until we were ready."

"When did you tell Kerry?"

"I called her when we got back to the hotel, while you were in the shower," Georgia said, laughing. "Like I wasn't going to call my best friend?! Yours was actually _there_, it wouldn't have been fair!"

Wash smiled. "You just didn't mention anything."

"Oh, sorry. I kind of assumed you'd assume I'd tell her, or something."

"So, you've been married a whole three weeks, how's it been?" York asked. "Anything kill the magic yet?"

Wash and Georgia snuggled against each other on the couch, grinning. "Not yet," Wash replied, nuzzling her cheek. "We've hardly fought the entire time we've been together, so I think we're going to be okay." Georgia murmured her agreement and they kissed, Wash reaching up to pull her closer.

"Ack, dude, we don't need a live reenactment of the wedding night," York said, fake-gagging. Wash laughed and flipped him off as they continued kissing.

"Like they're any worse than us," Carolina said, nudging him. York chuckled.

**Part 88 – Early November 2013**

York stared out the front window, the curtains pushed back with his hand, judging the front lawn with a frown. "I just don't get it."

"Get what, sweetie?" Carolina asked from the nearby wall, where she was trying to hang pictures without the use of a level.

"How our neighbor's lawn is so awesome and ours looks like crap."

"Ours isn't _crap_. It's perfectly fine."

"Look at that one though! With all the bushes and rocks and _color_."

"We only hired the guy to take care of the lawn, so all he does is mow and trim the weeds. If you want more, you'd have to hire a landscaper, and we don't have the money for that. I still haven't found a job."

"_I_ can do that stuff. It can't be that hard."

"You tell yourself that, but when do you have time to actually _do_ any of that stuff?"

York shrugged, letting go of the curtains to let them swing back in front of the window. "Maybe next weekend?"

"We have tickets to a concert on Saturday."

"Oh. Right. I don't know then. Maybe I could talk to the neighbor and work out a deal or something. Maybe he needs an accountant."

Carolina laughed. "Trading accounting for lawn work?"

"Why not?"

"Have you even _met_ the neighbors yet?"

"Have _you_?"

"I met the woman who lives next door to the right, she seems nice, and there's a family on our left but they're pretty quiet, the kid's in high school."

"What about across the street, Mr. Nice Lawn?"

She shrugged. "I've seen him around. Older guy, young son, maybe grandson, I don't know. The kid looks like he's about ten. The guy is…you know, I hate to use the word _creepy_, but he's kind of creepy."

"How so?" York asked, pushing the curtains aside to look across the street again.

"I think it's his mustache. You just have to see it, there's no words for it." Carolina stepped back from the wall, admiring her handiwork. "There, what do you think?"

York turned to see three framed pictures in a triangular pattern hanging on the wall. One was from North and Maine's wedding, and had all of them in it, smiling nicely for the camera, with North and Maine in the middle, holding each other. The topmost one had York and Carolina smiling while standing outside the house, Carolina's hand up in the air to show off the ring—Donut had taken that one right after York proposed. The third frame was blank, and York frowned, pointing to it.

"Why's that one empty?"

"Because that's where our wedding photo is going to go once it exists," Carolina explained.

"Ohh. That's awesome!" York came over and kissed her. "We really need to start planning that."

"You'd think I'd be all over planning a wedding, but I really just have no energy," she said, sighing. "With all the moving and job searching—"

"Babe, don't even worry about it. I'm not pressuring you, am I?"

"You haven't even mentioned it until now."

"Exactly." He hugged her and started kissing his way up her jawline. "Just don't…even worry…about any of it," he said between kisses. "We have time…and I'm not…going anywhere."

Carolina giggled and tilted her head at the last second, catching his lips in a deep kiss. "Neither am I," she said, biting his lip. He grinned and pushed her up against the wall, kissing her as his hands slid down to her jeans, expertly unbuttoning them.

(b)

She hadn't meant to do it.

It had started as mild curiosity. A small thought at the back of her head, saying 'why not? Just go in and look.' She couldn't ignore it any longer and finally she was standing there, staring at the mirror, her cheeks flushed with excitement that she hadn't realized she had until that moment.

"Okay, _please_ don't get mad at me, but I don't think sleeves are for you, sweetie."

Carolina tore her eyes away from her reflection and nodded. "No, I agree. Maybe a strapless?"

"I know _just the one_." The young woman ran off into the back again and Carolina turned back to the mirror, smiling. Even if the sleeves _did_ look ridiculous, she still looked amazing in a wedding dress.

"Here you go, let's try a couple of these." The woman was back at her side, juggling a few more dresses in plastic bags in her arms. They went into the dressing room and Carolina started peeling the other dress off, glancing at the ones hanging on the bar.

"I don't think I like halter tops," she said, shaking head.

"Oh, we can try it anyway," the girl said, smiling. "We'll find you a dress you'll _love_, I just know it."

(b)

An hour later Carolina was thanking the girl for her time and had a couple of styles written down on a card, but nothing had panned out. The sleeveless dress had looked the best but was too plain, and she found she really loved dresses with full skirts and sweetheart necklines, while hating princess-style and tight dresses. There had also been a mermaid-style dress she'd she liked, but the beading was too intricate and took away from the design of the lace.

She walked back to the parking garage she'd managed to find a spot at and got in the car, staring at the dashboard clock. York had the day off from work due to the heating malfunctioning, so she'd volunteered to go run errands and pick up a few groceries later in the afternoon, and it was already nearly five. Luckily he hadn't called to see what was taking her so long; she didn't want to have to explain she was randomly trying on wedding dresses. Not that he would _mind_, but she wanted to find one on her own.

Turning the key, she started the engine and backed out of the parking spot, heading for the exit. Her phone started ringing and she stopped at the payment machine, reaching for it. "Hello?"

"Hey babe, are you still out?"

"Yeah, was just on my way home. What's up?"

"Ric invited me out for a beer, do you mind?"

"No, that's fine. When do you think you'll be back?"

"Not sure, not that late though since we both work tomorrow. I'll call him and have him come pick me up, we'll probably be gone before you get home."

"Okay, just keep me posted."

"Love you, babe."

"Love you too." She stuck a credit card in the payment machine, waiting for her receipt. Her phone rang again and she sighed, answering it as she tucked the card and receipt into her wallet. "Hello?"

"Yes, is this Carolina Brown?"

"Yes it is, how can I help you?"

"Hello, this is Serena Bennett, director at LSC Innovations. Are you free to talk for a moment about your interest in the architectural designer position?"

"Oh! Yes, can you wait just one moment, please?"

"Of course."

Carolina set the phone on her lap as she drove in a quick circle, going back into the parking garage. She got a new ticket and quickly pulled back into her original parking spot, turning off the engine as she picked up the phone again. "Okay, I'm sorry about that."

"Oh, not a problem. I just wanted to know if you might be free later this week to come in for an interview."

She thought for a moment, trying to remember where the firm was. "Yes, I'm pretty open. When would be good for you?"

"Actually, do you think you could come by tomorrow, any time after noon?"

"Of course!" York would have the car, but she could figure something out. "I can be there around one?"

"Sounds great. I'm looking forward to meeting with you."

"You too. Thank you!" They hung up and Carolina let out a deep breath, calming her nerves. She'd had a few callbacks but nothing had resulted in a job offer, and they were beginning to run a little low on their savings. With the holidays coming up, she was getting more stressed by the day.

(b)

"Hello, my name is Carolina Brown, I'm here to meet with Serena?"

"Have a seat, I'll let her know you're here," the assistant said, pointing towards the chairs nearby. Carolina thanked her and sat down, fidgeting. Her skirt was slightly wrinkled but she otherwise thought she looked good, her hair swept up in a bun, wearing her nicest interview blouse.

A few minutes later a door opened and a blonde woman poked her head outside. "Carolina? Come on in."

Carolina stood up and nodded, entering the office. She took a seat as the woman closed the door and sat down at the desk, smiling at her. "Nice to meet you, I'm Serena," she introduced herself.

"You too, I'm Carolina. But you know that," she added quickly, then grimaced.

"Oh, don't be so nervous! I'm really not _that_ scary," Serena said, chuckling. "So, let's get started, shall we? Why did you apply for this job?"

Carolina smiled and tried to resist fidgeting in her seat. "Well, I think I'd be good at it. I do well with responsibility, and—"

"No, no, I didn't mean why you applied here in general. I'm sure you're just looking for a job, like everyone else. I meant, why did you apply for this position _specifically_?" Serena asked with a smile.

"Uh—"

"To be blunt, you're completely unqualified for it," she continued, ignoring the panicked look on Carolina's face as she shuffled papers on her desk. "That's why I ask."

"Well—I guess I was sort of applying _because_ I need the experience—"

"Considering you're fresh out of grad school with no prior work experience, that makes sense." Serena looked up at her again, still smiling. "You know, I like you. I can tell from your resume that you _are_ a hard worker—you stayed at the same job for years before going back to school, your old employer raved about you, and your degree _is_ from Columbia, so that's impressive by itself. I'd like to level with you, if I could."

"Of course?"

"Miss Brown, this isn't the job for you. I'll tell you that now. However, I _would_ like to offer you a choice between an internship with one of our architects on staff, thus likely resulting in a permanent hire, or an entry-level desk top that would offer you chances to move up over time."

Carolina blinked a couple of times, trying to form words in her head. "I…that sounds amazing, either way."

"Well, the internship would be a lot of work and unfortunately doesn't pay as much as the entry-level position, but it would be more rewarding. So it's up to you. You can take some time to think about it, but please let me know soon. We're almost done with another round of hiring, so I need to finalize things somewhat quickly."

"Uh. Okay. Um, thank you very much!"

"I apologize that this wasn't a typical interview," Serena said, nodding as she stood up. She extended a hand and Carolina shook it, smiling at her. "I'm in a rush to fill some positions, and you seem well-suited for this company. Please let me know as soon as possible."

"I will. Thank you again!" Carolina left the office and closed the door behind her, trying to resist skipping towards the elevator.

(b)

"So what do you think you want to do?" York asked, scooping some ice cream into a bowl. He licked his knuckle that had chocolate on it and kept scooping more ice cream into a second bowl.

"I'm not sure. I've been thinking about it all day, and I keep thinking of more pros and cons for each job."

"Is there one you're more pro on than con?"

"Not really. Although I think the internship sounds more interesting."

"That's the one that wouldn't pay as much, right?" York pushed a bowl towards her and she slid it closer, upending the chocolate sauce bottle in her hand, coating the vanilla ice cream.

"Yeah. Did you run the numbers?"

"Yup, they're in my briefcase," he replied, nodding towards the briefcase on the counter. She set down the sauce and went over, opening the flap. "Front section," he directed, and she pulled out a piece of paper with some numbers scribbled on it.

"Okay, walk me through this."

"Well, that first number is what's in checking right now, and the second one is our savings." He pointed with his elbow as he moved the ice cream scoop into the sink, turning on the water to rinse off his hands. "And that's all the bills we have, broken down into monthly amounts, including keeping some of savings in case of emergency."

"So it looks like we're really only able to get by for another six months or so if I don't get paid at _all_," Carolina replied, shaking her head as she set the paper on the counter. "Maybe I should just take the desk job…"

"But is that really what you want to do?" York asked, kissing her shoulder as he dried his hands on a towel.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I'm afraid I'll choose the wrong one."

"Babe, there _is_ no wrong one. It's just whichever one you want to do more. It's that simple."

"What would _you_ do?"

"You're talking to someone who ran away to the military to get away from his problems, and who took the first job he could get in construction to avoid trying harder to find a job with what his degree actually _qualified _him for. So, I'm probably not the best role model, you know?"

Carolina smiled. "I still appreciate your input."

"Then my input is thusly: do what you want." He laughed and pressed his forehead to hers, taking her hands. "I will support whichever you decide. Don't think about the money. Besides, if we need a loan, you know Maine will always help out."

"I can't ask him to do that."

"I can't _either_, but at least it's an _option_. Just hopefully not one we need to utilize." York shrugged. "Now I'm going to go eat my ice cream in front of the TV and pass out, if that's okay with you. It's been a long day and I know it has for you too, so I think going to sleep early would be a good idea for both of us."

"Sure," Carolina agreed. "I'll come join you in a minute."

He picked up both bowls of ice cream and carried them towards the living room as she stood in the kitchen, looking down at the paper filled with numbers that was still lying on the counter. She sighed and picked it up, studying the numbers for a minute, running through scenarios in her head. Finally she put it back down and went to join York on the couch.

(b)

A few days passed and Carolina hadn't made a decision yet, still running numbers and situations in her mind. They woke up Saturday morning and York gave her a kiss before heading to the garage to dig out the yard equipment, leaving her to do some cleaning around the house.

He was crouched down in front of a patch of weeds when he noticed a shadow stretching out in front of him. Frowning, he glanced up and behind him to see a man standing there, his hands on his hips, staring down at him.

"Would you care for some assistance?" he asked in a thick British accent.

York stood up, brushing off his jeans. He noticed the man had a giant mustache and was smiling, his brown hair slicked back, peppered with gray. "Uh, yeah, actually. I'm York," he introduced himself, shaking the man's hand.

"Reginald, but you may call me Wyoming. Nice to meet you."

"You too. Uh…Wyoming?"

"Yes, it's an old Air Force nickname. And York?"

"Yeah, same. Army though. Sean's my real name. So, do you live across the street?" York asked, gesturing to the house with the beautiful lawn he'd been admiring, even though right then it was covered in a melting layer of snow.

"Why, yes, I do. I've noticed you staring at my handiwork," Wyoming replied.

"It's really impressive. Obviously I don't have quite the same level of dedication," he said, kicking at the lawn.

"It _is_ looking a little sad," Wyoming agreed. "Well, once spring comes I can help you fix it up."

"Really? That would be great!"

"Why don't you come over and have a drink? Get to know the neighborhood. I can give you all the dirt on the other neighbors," he said, chuckling. York nodded.

"Let me run inside and get cleaned up, and I'll come over. Have you met my fiancée yet? Red hair, kinda short?"

"In fact, I have not. Bring her over too."

"Sure thing! Great to meet you, Wyoming. We'll be over in a little bit."

"Sounds good. You too, York." They shook hands and York took off into the garage, shutting the door behind him as he ducked out the side door towards the house.

"Lina! Babe, where are you?"

"Up here," he heard her holler from upstairs. He took them two at a time and found her scrubbing the inside of the standing shower. "What's up?" she asked, furiously rubbing the rag against the glass.

"You should change and come with me across the street, I just met the neighbor with the crazy mustache and he invited us over!"

She leveled a look at him through the glass. "Seriously."

"Yeah, come on, I don't want to be rude. Plus, I already told him you'd come with me."

"Ugh, _fine_." She stepped out of the shower and tossed the rag on the counter. "Let me change and I'll go for a little bit." With a sigh she walked towards the closet, closely followed by York.

"Oh man, I bet he's super cool. I mean, you've seen his mustache! Only someone _super cool_ could pull of a mustache like that. Oh, and did you know he's _British_?" York babbled as he grabbed a clean shirt and jeans from his side of the closet. Carolina rolled her eyes as she pulled on a clean sweater, adjusting the hem.

"Wow, you seem to have a crush already."

"Shut _up_, he's just _cool_."

"You _just met him_."

"I can still tell!" York yanked on the clean pair of jeans and shirt, ruffling his hair back to normal. "Come on, let's go."

"Good god, I'm coming." She took his hand and followed him downstairs, shaking her head as he continued to go on about how cool he was.

(b)

"Thanks," Carolina said, taking the small tumbler of scotch from Wyoming as he handed the other one to York.

"You're quite welcome. So, how are you two enjoying the neighborhood?" he asked as they settled into the leather armchairs in his den.

York sipped the scotch and coughed. "_Wow_, that's strong."

"Seventy-year-old single malt," Wyoming said, raising his own glass.

"_Fantastic_." He took another sip and tried to avoid coughing again.

"It's a great area, we're really happy," Carolina said, shooting a glare at York. "How long have you lived here?"

"Oh, going on about thirty years now. Second owner of this house, and I've been here since. I quite like the neighborhood, it's seen its shares of ups and downs but overall it's been a good experience."

"Did you know the people who owned our house before we moved in?" York asked. "We heard it was taking them a while to sell it."

"Oh, I did. They were lovely people, just fell on some financial trouble, nothing scandalous. And please let me know if you decide to remodel, I've got experience and have some tips you might find helpful." Wyoming drank a good portion of his scotch and set the glass on a coaster on the table next to him.

"We probably will, thank you," York said, nodding.

"Is it just you here?" Carolina asked, holding her glass in her lap. "I thought I've seen a young boy running around the yard."

"Oh, yes, that's my grandson, Gary. He comes to stay sometimes while his parents work. My son is awfully busy with travel, and my daughter-in-law runs some sort of online business. I really don't understand it, so I don't get involved, I just watch Gary when I have time. I _am_ retired, so I have plenty of it."

"Oh, that's so sweet of you."

"Thank you, I think so too." Wyoming winked at her and she chuckled. "When is the wedding, might I ask?"

"We haven't actually set a date yet," York admitted. "We just got engaged over the summer, and between moving and job hunting for her, we just haven't put that much thought into it. But we have plenty of time, we're not in a hurry." He smiled and reached over to rub Carolina's arm. "It took us long enough to get here, but I can wait as long as needed."

"That sounds like an interesting story," he replied. "I'd like to hear it sometime."

"It's really not that interesting," Carolina said quickly.

"Nonsense. Indulge an old man, won't you?"

"You're not that old!" she said with a laugh.

"Old enough," Wyoming sighed. "But enough about me. I'd like to hear more about you two."

"Uh, not much to tell," York said, scratching the back of his head. "I work in finance, I got promoted to running one of the branches, we just opened one in Denver. That's why we moved here."

"And I just got a job offer for an architectural firm," Carolina said.

"Oh, really? Which one?"

"LSC Innovations."

"That's a great place to work. I've known a few people there for years, and they just rave about the company."

"Oh, that's good to hear," Carolina said, visibly relaxing.

"What are you going to be doing?"

"I'm going to be doing an internship with one of the contractors. Hopefully that leads into an actual position for me, but I'll have to wait and see."

"So you decided," York said, raising an eyebrow at her. She nodded, setting her glass on the table in front of them.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "I hope that's okay."

"Of _course_ it's okay," he replied, setting his glass down so he could stand up. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet, kissing her.

Wyoming clapped his hands together once and stood up, smiling. "Why don't I make a snack for us? My grandson will actually be here later this afternoon, if you'd like to meet him."

"Sure," Carolina said, blushing as she pushed York away. "Sorry."

"Oh, never apologize for love. I'm a romantic at heart." He laughed as he left the room, and York and Carolina held hands as they followed after him.

(b)

Carolina waited in the kitchen while York used the restroom. Wyoming was at the door, talking to his son about Gary, who had immediately run upstairs to put his stuff away. After a few minutes Wyoming came back, smiling.

"Sorry about that. Gary will probably hide upstairs for a little while until he gets hungry."

"We should probably get going anyway," York said, reappearing next to Carolina. "We still have some stuff to do around the house, and we've bothered you enough today. Thank you so much for the food, by the way."

"Of course." Wyoming nodded and gestured towards the hallway. "Feel free to visit whenever. I'm often bored and could use the company."

"We'll probably take you up on that," Carolina said, shaking his hand when they reached the doorway. He smiled and shook York's hand.

"Have a wonderful weekend," he said, his hand on the door, leaning against it.

"You too!" Carolina said as they left the house, hearing the door shut behind them. York wrapped an arm around her waist, hugging her.

"See? I _told_ you he was _cool_."

"He was very nice, yes," she agreed, laughing. As they crossed the street, they glanced back to the house and saw a young boy poking his head around the curtains in the front window, staring at them. Carolina waved and he disappeared, leaving the curtains billowing where he used to be.

"He really _is_ shy," York said, laughing as he opened the front door, heading inside. Carolina laughed and followed him inside, inwardly groaning at how much more cleaning she had left to do.

(b)

York dragged a gigantic bag of trash out to the trash can sitting next to the garage, sliding it across the pavement. It was entirely too heavy to lift, full of papers and junk they'd cleaned out of the closet that afternoon. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand and looked across the driveway, trying to remember when their trash pick-up day was scheduled. He could never remember, and it drove Carolina insane.

"**Hello**."

He jumped at the sound of an electronic voice coming up the walkway. Looking over, he saw the young boy from Wyoming's house frowning up at him, holding a Speak-N-Spell toy against his chest.

"Uh…hello there. Are you Gary?"

The boy typed something and hit the button again. "**My name is Gary. What is your name?**"

"My name is York. What are you up to?"

"**Do you like knock-knock jokes?**"

"Uh, sure." York smiled. "Do you know any good ones?"

"**Knock knock.**"

"Who's there?"

"**You are**."

"You are who?"

He waited a brief moment as Gary typed. "**You are a dirty butt. Ha ha ha.**"

York laughed. "Okay, that's a good one."

"York? What are you doing out there?"

He turned back towards the house. "Nothing, be there in a second. Hey, do you—" Looking down, he saw that Gary was gone. He glanced across the street and saw the front door to Wyoming's house closing.

"Weird kid," he said out loud, chuckling as he went back inside.

* * *

**A/N: **

**In case anyone is too young to know what a Speak N Spell is, it's this toy you can type stuff into and hit the "Speak" button and this creepy robot voice says what you wrote. It was really fun when I was a kid, and that probably just dated me, but whatever. Point it, when my friend and I thought about putting Gamma in the story line, that was the only way we could picture him talking. :P**

**In the original .doc it's in robot-looking font, but I had to just bold it here. Oh well. And no, as much as I debated having him say 'shisno' it just didn't make sense, haha.**


	54. Chapter 54

**Part 89 – Mid-December 2013**

"I'm really sorry we can't have everyone stay here," Carolina said, sipping her hot chocolate. "We only have the room for one or two people in the guest room, unless you all want to sleep on the floor in the living room like in camp or something."

"That _could_ be pretty fun," North said, winking at Brandon. He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Yeah, how about no," he replied, glancing over at CT, who was talking to Dakota about something wedding-related. "I'm good with a hotel room."

"You're no fun."

"I'm sure it's already stressful enough to have everyone here as it is," Maine said, smiling at Carolina.

"Well, Wash and Georgia will be here next Sunday. They're visiting his mom right now."

"Does anyone else know about….you know what?" North asked.

"Not yet, just us," York said quietly. "So don't say anything until they get here."

"Oh, we finally picked a wedding date!" Carolina said, nudging North's leg under the table with her foot. "I bet you'll never guess it."

"Let's see…the day you two finally hooked up?" North guessed. She shook her head. "Valentine's Day?" She shook it again. "Um…okay, random guess here, October 12th."

"What?"

"I said it was _random_."

"Oh. Well, no. But you'll probably think it's stupid."

"Of_ course_ not."

Carolina shifted and set down her mug of hot chocolate. "July 15th."

Maine frowned. "Is there significance to that?"

York laughed. "Yup. It's the night she came over and we talked for the first time."

"But…nothing _happened_ that night," North said.

"That was when I realized that maybe he wasn't as annoying as I'd first thought," Carolina said, taking York's hand in hers.

"And it was the night I started my long game of winning her over," York added, laughing. "My _really_ long game, that is."

"Yeah, because _that_ really worked out well for you for _how_ many months?" North teased. York scoffed and waved his other hand.

"Details…"

"So, when are Caboose and Theta flying in?" North asked.

"Thursday," York said. "We're picking them up late and they're going to stay the night with us, then the rest of the time in a hotel."

"Ah, okay. Do you have plans for all of us for sight-seeing?"

"Dude, you _lived here_."

"Not _me_, idiot, people like _Maine_," North said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh. Well, not really. We kind of assumed you'd be taking care of that."

Maine smiled. "I'm fine with staying in," he told North. "I was looking forward to a quiet vacation, to be honest."

"Ugh, you're so _boring_ sometimes…"

"You still love me though," Maine said, reaching over to grab him out of his chair, pulling him onto his lap. North laughed and kissed him.

"Of _course_ I do, sweetie."

Brandon stood up and mumbled something about finding a drink and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving the four of them at the table. North turned away from Maine, his arms still wrapped around the larger man's shoulders, and looked at Carolina.

"Besides the date, have you guys done any other wedding planning?"

"Not yet. I did want to ask your opinion on something later, though."

"Sure, just let me know. Secret, eh?" He winked at York, who smiled.

"She won't tell _me,_ that's for sure. Not for lack of trying, though." He nudged Carolina, and she laughed.

"Repeatedly molesting me is not really _trying_, that's just par for the course."

"Eh, whatever."

"Hey, are we getting dinner or what?" Dakota asked, coming over to stand behind Maine and North. "We're still on Japan time, so I don't even know what's going on right now. It feels like I'm living in the past."

"Yeah, sorry. We were thinking of taking everyone to Pappadeaux, it's a Cajun place. We can leave whenever, if everyone else is hungry?" Carolina glanced around at everyone else, and a murmur of agreement sounded throughout the room. "Okay, let's get going then."

CT shrugged on a spare winter coat Carolina had in the closet, groaning as she looked outside. "It's so _cold_," she complained. "And there's too much snow."

"You get used to it," Carolina said, patting her on the back. "Not my fault you don't even _own_ a winter coat."

"Well, you have a spare, so whatever."

"What about _me_?" Brandon pouted.

"I've got a spare you can use," York said, heading for the closet. "North, Maine, did you two bring coats like I _told you all_ to do?"

"Of course!" North held his up as Maine put his own on. "See, we actually _listened_ to them," he said to Brandon, who scowled. "Plus, I remember how cold it gets during the winter. Winters in the dorms were rough."

"Oh my god, they weren't _that_ bad," York said with a laugh. "Stop making it sound like Shawshank."

"Yeah, like _you_ didn't complain about the busted heating vents _just_ as much as me."

"Whatever. Let's go."

The group headed for the driveway, splitting up into two groups to use York's car and Maine's rental car. York gave North the directions to the restaurant and they piled into the cars, waving at each other.

(b)

"I feel like parents already," York said softly, leaning against Carolina's arm. She snickered and nodded.

They'd come back to the house after dinner, thoroughly stuffed full of drinks and fried food, and stayed up late catching up. Dakota and Lee were the first to pass out, snuggled together on one end of the couch, still jet-lagged from the flight from Japan. Maine was next to fall asleep, leaning back in the loveseat perpendicular to the couch, snoring lightly. North followed shortly after, drifting off in the middle of a conversation about Christmas family traditions, his head lolling onto Maine's shoulder, a pillow in his lap.

Brandon and CT were sitting on the other end of the couch, CT holding Brandon against her chest, having been playing with the hem of his sweater as they talked to Dakota and Lee. He'd fallen asleep from one too many beers at dinner and she claimed she was tired, though Carolina knew it was just that she didn't want to go to the hotel. They were fast asleep, Brandon's face turned towards the back of the couch, his body nearly falling off. CT was holding him tightly in her sleep.

York sighed and set down his glass of water on a small table next to the stairs, disappearing upstairs for a minute. When he came back down he had two large blankets in his arms, and handed one to Carolina. She fluffed it open and walked it over to drape over Maine and North as he covered the others on the couch. Dakota tugged on the blanket in her sleep and dragged it slightly over more to their side, causing Brandon to stir. York backed up and watched them fight over it, settling down a minute later.

"I don't want to wake them up," Carolina whispered.

"Man, I knew they'd find a way to crash here," York whispered back, rolling his eyes.

"Let's go to bed," she said, nodding towards the stairs. He smiled and took her arm, leading her away from the others. He let go of her arm as she started up the stairs and reached up to smack her ass, smiling innocently as she glared down at him over her shoulder.

(b)

"You could have woken us up," Maine said around a yawn, stretching his arms over his head as North scratched his stomach, complaining that CT was taking too long to shower.

"We weren't going to make you drive all the way to the hotel that late at night," York said, shaking his head. "Come on, we're not _that_ mean."

Maine opened his mouth to respond but the doorbell rang, interrupting his thoughts. York glanced at Carolina, who was busy scrambling a gigantic pan of eggs, apparently having not heard the doorbell. He sighed and heaved himself out of the barstool, heading for the door.

"Good morning, old chap!" Wyoming greeted as he opened the door. York nearly jumped.

"Uh, good morning. What's up?"

"I saw you had a large gathering of people over, and thought it would be nice to bring over breakfast," he replied, holding up a large plastic container that looked like it was full of donuts. "Everyone loves donuts, do they not?"

"Yeah, we do! Come on it." York stepped back and let Wyoming come in, shutting the door behind them. "Babe, we have another visitor," he hollered, guiding him towards the kitchen.

"Who on earth—oh, Wyoming! What are you doing here?" she asked, glancing at them from the stove. She waved the spatula and he smiled, holding up the donut container.

"As I was just telling York, I saw you had a lot of people apparently stay the night and thought you might want a break from feeding all of them. Do you all like donuts?"

"Fuck _yes_," North said, reaching for the container. He took it from Wyoming and set it on the counter, flipping open the lid. "Nice to meet you," he finally said around a mouthful of sprinkled donut.

"You too, young man," Wyoming replied. "And you?" he asked Maine. Carolina realized they were almost the same height, which was impressive in itself.

Maine shook his head, smiling. "I don't eat donuts unless they're vegan," he replied. "Sorry."

"Oh, not a problem. I probably shouldn't have assumed." Wyoming patted him on the arm. "Vegan, hmm? You don't strike me as the type."

He raised an eyebrow. "The type?"

"Oh, no offense."

"None taken, it's all right."

"Sweetie, you really should eat a donut once in a while," North said, offering him a bite. Maine rolled his eyes.

"It's not just a diet, it's how I _live_," he replied, shaking his head. "You know that by now."

"Are you two together?" Wyoming asked, looking between the two of them.

"We're actually married," North told him, bumping up against Maine's arm.

"Oh! That's…interesting." Wyoming smiled. "I'm Reginald. But you all can call me Wyoming," he directed to the rest of the group. CT and Brandon had just walked into the kitchen, their hair damp from showering.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Maine," Maine introduced himself. "And this is North."

"Dakota."

"Lee."

"CT, and this is Brandon."

"Oh, Dakota and Lee are together, as are CT and Brandon," York added, gesturing to each of the couples.

"We're engaged," Brandon said, his arm around CT's waist.

"That's lovely!" Wyoming leaned against the counter, reaching for a donut. "My, aren't all of you nicely paired off."

"Yeah, actually," Carolina laughed, scraping eggs from the pan onto a large plate. "I guess we are, huh?"

"That's always nice to see," Wyoming said with a chuckle. "At least no one's left out, right?"

"Right," York agreed. "Thanks again, by the way," he said, grabbing another donut.

"Of course. Oh, I heard you met my grandson?"

"Gary? Yeah, we…_met_, I guess, if you want to call it that. What's up with that toy?"

"Oh, his Speak 'N Spell?" Wyoming sighed. "He's terribly shy, and he uses that thing to talk to people. Even _I_ can barely get him to say two words to me without it."

"Yeah, that was definitely strange. He also made fun of me." York pouted as Wyoming laughed.

"Knock-knock jokes?"

"How did you know?"

"That's his default form of communication. He likes making jokes. I think he got that from me when he was younger. I had no idea how to talk to a child and ended up making lame jokes, and he sort of picked that up as a habit. I'm terribly sorry if he offended you."

"Eh, he's just a kid," York said, waving his hand. "It was just sort of strange."

"I understand. I'll talk to him and ask him not to make fun of you in the future."

"Well, it's not _that_ big a deal. He's just a kid," he repeated. "I'll figure out how to talk to him."

"Good luck with that," Carolina said, laughing. "You've barely interacted with kids your entire life, are you going to just change that now?"

"Shut up." York sounded annoyed, but he was smiling.

"Well, I should be going. I'll let you two be with your friends. Have a wonderful visit, everyone," Wyoming said, waving to everyone. A few of them waved back, donuts in their mouths. He chuckled and made his way to the front door, shaking York's hand on the way out.

"That guy's mustache is _epic_," Brandon said, his eyes wide.

"Yeah, you sort of get used to it," Carolina replied, scooping some more eggs onto her plate.

(b)

"Hey, Maine."

"Yes?"

"Come with me for a minute." Carolina nodded towards the stairs and he smiled, setting down his plate with a slice of cake on it. He glanced over at North, who was talking with York, and slid off the couch, following her upstairs.

"Secret rendezvous?" he asked, winking.

"I want your opinion on something," she said, rolling her eyes. They went into the first bedroom and he sat down on the bay window seat, settling in against the spare pillows tossed there. She went to the closet and slid open the doors, digging behind a row of clothes hanging on the rack.

"What are you—" He stopped talking as she pulled out a thick garment bag as tall as herself, struggling to unzip the side. After a moment of struggling she produced what she'd been hiding from York, buried in the back of the closet he never used.

Carolina held it up to herself, trying to angle it correctly. An off-white dress draped down to the floor, the neckline cut in a sweetheart style. Criss-crossed ruching covered the bodice, ending just past the hips where it spread into a full skirt, simply styled. The bottom was edged with lace, and the train was a few feet long, trailing down across the floor. She glanced up at Maine, whose mouth was hanging open.

"That's…" He stopped, trying to think. "When did…_wow_, Lina."

"You like it? I could try it on—"

"If you did that, it would ruin the wedding day for me," Maine said, shaking his head. "No, I want to be just as surprised as everyone else. But it's _perfect_. You'll be wearing your hair up, right?"

"That's what I was thinking," she replied, struggling to hold the hanger up with one hand as the other gathered her hair, piling it on top of her head. She'd been growing it out and it was getting long.

"Perfect," Maine repeated, standing up. He came over and helped her wrestle the dress back into the garment bag, watching her hang it back up behind the mess of clothes. "When did you get it?"

"A week ago," she admitted, blushing. "I found it in a small store downtown and fell in love with it. And it was a really good deal. I put it on credit and I'm going to pay it off myself so York doesn't find out."

"Well, it's beautiful and completely you," Maine said, hugging her. She laughed and buried her face against his chest.

"You're the closest thing I have to a brother," she said quietly. "I'm so glad you like it."

"A brother?" he said, brushing the ends of her hair with his fingers.

"Yeah. I mean, you've always been so supportive and caring and sweet." She looked up at him with a smile. "Thanks, by the way."

"You're always welcome," Maine replied, holding her tightly. "I love you, Lina."

"I love you too." She squeezed him and rubbed her face against his shirt, wiping away a few tears. "We should get back downstairs before someone notices we're gone."

"Let North and York be jealous," he murmured. She laughed and kept holding him, enjoying the warmth from his arms wrapped around her.

(b)

Shouts came from downstairs as Carolina was finishing tucking in the edges of the sheet on the spare bed. She finished throwing on the blankets and pillows and ran downstairs, crashing into Theta, who was on her way upstairs to find Carolina.

"You made it!" Carolina shrieked, hugging Theta so hard she couldn't talk. She let go of her a second later and Theta wheezed, trying to catch her breath.

"You're going to _kill_ me one of these days," she said, laughing. "How _are_ you?!"

"Amazing, now that you're here! I've missed you!"

"It's only been a few months!"

"I left in August, that's longer than a few months," Carolina pouted, grabbing her hand. "Come on, let's go have some cake before everyone gets back from sight-seeing."

"_Carolina_!"

She turned to see someone barreling towards her, crashing into them a second later. Theta jumped out of the way as Caboose grabbed Carolina around the waist, lifting her up in a crushing hug.

"_I missed you so much_!" Caboose shouted, refusing to let go of her as she flailed in his arms. Finally she settled her arms around his shoulders and kissed him on the cheek.

"I've missed you too!" she said, grinning. "How have you been?"

"Great! Theta and I hang out all the time, and Church doesn't like it but he says I'm an adult and can do whatever I want, and I told him that Theta is the best and he just has to deal with it, even when she's in the shower when he wants to use the bathroom, which happens sometimes." Caboose frowned as he set Carolina down. "I think we need a bigger apartment for the three of us."

"Are you living there?" she asked Theta, who shook her head.

"Not officially, I just end up over there a lot. It's closer to my job."

"You finally got a job?"

"Yeah, the office job wasn't cutting it, so I quit in October. I just got one as a design overseer for a small firm upstate. Basically I go over other peoples' work and critique it, so it's kind of fun." Theta grinned. "And it's got benefits, so, that's nice."

"I like her new job! It means she spends a lot of time with me!"

Carolina watched as Caboose picked up Theta, lifting her to be level with his head, and they kissed, her arms wrapped around his shoulders. York finally finished dragging in their luggage from the car and shut the front door, collapsing to the floor by their bags.

"S_eriously,_ you guys, you didn't have to pack _that_ much stuff for a 10-day trip, did you?" he complained. "I'm not carrying this crap upstairs!"

"I've got it!" Caboose set down Theta and walked over, grabbing two of the three bags in his hands, tucking the third underarm. He carried them effortlessly up the stairs as York glared after him.

(b)

"Your hot chocolate is _so_ much better than Church's," Caboose said, settling down on the couch next to Theta. "He just adds water to the instant stuff."

"That's what most people do," York said, nodding wisely. "That's why I use milk instead. Makes it _much_ better. And I have a secret ingredient," he added, winking at Carolina.

"It's really just—"

"_Babe_!"

"Oh my _god_," she said, rolling her eyes. "Fine. I'm _sorry_ I almost spilled your _secret_."

"Jeez…"

"I thought everyone was coming over here?" Theta asked, checking her watch.

"Oh, Maine called, they're going to stay in at the hotel tonight," Carolina explained. "I guess Brandon twisted his ankle while ice-skating and wants to relax there instead of coming all the way over here, so they were going to order in dinner. We'll catch up with them tomorrow, probably. I managed to get the day off work so we could go to lunch."

"Sounds good." Theta sipped her hot chocolate, melting back against Caboose's side. "Oh my _god_ this is delicious."

"Perfect for snowy weather," York said, drinking from his own mug. "Which we've had a _lot_ of lately. Shoveling _sucks_."

"Yeah, I don't mind living in an apartment building for that reason," Theta said. "Maintenance takes care of that for you."

York continued grumbling and Carolina pat his knee. "It's okay, sweetie. Snow happens."

"How are you liking Colorado?" Theta asked.

"It's really great!" Carolina said enthusiastically. "I mean, the weather is really unpredictable, but you sort of get used to it."

"Well, we miss you in New York," Caboose said sadly. "Church asks about you sometimes."

"Really?" Carolina smiled. "I hope he's not being too mean to you."

"No, I just tell him to shut up and he usually does." Caboose shrugged, taking another sip of hot chocolate. "He said not to tell you he went on a date with Allison though."

She rolled her eyes. "His funeral. I'm not going to feel sorry for him when _that_ ends badly._ Again_."

"Babe—"

"It's fine, sweetie," she said, shaking her head at York, who looked irritated at the talk of Church. "Don't worry, I'm not going to talk to him or anything.

"No, it's not that." He held out his phone to show her a text message and she read it quickly.

"Wait, _what_? I thought—" Her own phone rang a second later and she grabbed it from the table, answering it. "Hey, I just saw—yeah, the text. Seriously? You're supposed to be here on Sunday. Christmas is _Tuesday_—no, I get it, I understand. …Yeah, just keep us posted. …Okay. Talk to you later." She hung up and tossed the phone on the table, frowning.

"What's wrong?" Caboose asked.

"It's Wash. Georgia's sick so they're staying at his mom's house for a few extra days. Some sort of flu going around, his mom had it so now Georgia got it." She sighed and sagged her shoulders. "Dammit, I hope they can still make it for Christmas. I wanted everyone together."

"It's only Thursday, maybe they'll still get here in time," Theta said. York growled and stood up, shaking his head.

"Yeah, I'm not going to count on it. Traveling while you're sick _sucks_. I don't want Georgia to infect everyone else, anyway. Or Wash, for that matter._ Dammit_." He kicked the side of the couch, causing Caboose to jump, nearly spilling his mug.

"I didn't know you cared that much," Carolina said, standing up.

"Well, I _do_. Everyone _else_ is here, and Wash is one of my best friends. Of _course_ I want everyone to be here for the fucking holidays." York stomped off towards the kitchen and Carolina shrugged at Theta and Caboose before following after him.

"Hon, what's wrong?" she asked, standing next to him as he leaned against a counter.

"Nothing. Just mad."

"That Wash and Georgia are going to be late? I'm sure they'll make it, Wash wouldn't let everyone down."

"Well, that's part of it, but…" He shook his head. "I don't know. I just wanted everyone here."

"They _will_ be." She reached over and took his hand, squeezing lightly. "It's okay to be mad, I'm upset too, but they'll be here. You know Wash, he promised, and he doesn't break promises."

"Yeah. Okay." York shrugged. "I know. I just wanted to talk to him about wedding stuff."

"Ohh. Well, that explains a bit more of the anger."

"Have _you_ even thought about it since we talked about the date?" he asked, glancing over at her.

"A bit, yeah."

"When are we going to start really planning it?"

"I thought _I_ was going to have to bother _you_ about this stuff," Carolina said with a smile.

"No, I actually want to help." York squeezed her hand. "I want this to be _our_ wedding, after all."

"And it _will_ be. I promise."

"Good." He leaned down to kiss her. "That's all I want."

"Why don't you make some more hot chocolate? Caboose is almost out," she suggested.

"Okay." He let go of her hand and started moving around the kitchen, gathering ingredients and the freshly-rinsed saucepan. She shook her head and left the kitchen.

**Part 90 – Christmas Eve 2013**

"Quit shoving!"

"Fuck you, you're hogging the entire couch!"

"I am _not_, you're just too fat!"

"Guys, come on, let's just distribute gifts—"

"Shut up—augh, stop _pinching_ me!"

"You started it!"

"Do I have to separate you two?"

"Just ignore them, let's get started, there's a ton of gifts under here—"

"Can I hand them out?!"

"Sure, just be careful—"

Caboose started grabbing gifts out from underneath the Christmas tree set up in Carolina and York's living room, nearly knocking off one of the colored glass ornaments on the bottom branch. North and Lee continued bickering on the couch as Brandon tried to restrain them, and York was busy passing out mugs of hot chocolate to everyone. Soon there were small piles of gifts scattered around the room and everyone was glancing at each other, almost daring one another to be the first to open a gift.

"Alright, since this is the first holiday we're spending in York and Carolina's house, I think one of them should be the first to open a present," Maine said, gesturing to a large box sitting near York. He shrugged and looked at Carolina, who shrugged back.

"Go for it," she said, smiling. York started ripping off the shiny silver paper and dropped it on the carpet, reaching inside the generic cardboard box. He grinned and lifted out a blue blown-glass wind chime, bouncing it a little to make a gentle ringing noise. Hanging from the middle were small wooden letters, a C and a Y.

"Wow, this is gorgeous!" he said, shaking it again. "I'm assuming this is from you guys?" he asked Maine and North.

"Hey, way to stereotype," Dakota pouted. "That's from me and Lee!"

"Thanks, you guys!" Carolina said, inspecting one of the chimes. "This will look great on the back porch once we get it built in the spring."

"Can I open one?" Caboose asked eagerly. York laughed and nodded, and he ripped open a small box to reveal a bookstore gift card. "Yay, thank you!" he said to Maine, who smiled.

"Merry Christmas," he said.

"You too!"

Everyone else immediately started opening presents and the room was soon filled with joyous shouts and thanks for various gifts. York handed Carolina a small box and she opened it carefully, laughing as she overheard Lee trying to get out of a bear hug from Caboose.

"Hon!" She lifted out a small silver charm in the shape of a mountain, with a little sparkling stone at the top for the snow. "It's so cute!"

"For your bracelet," he said, pointing to it. She lifted up her wrist and shook it a little, watching the charms jingle. Smiling, she slipped it off her wrist and set to work attaching the new charm.

"Wow, could you guys _seriously_ not wait until we got here to open your fucking gifts?"

Everyone stopped talking and turned their attention to the doorway where Wash and Georgia were standing, holding armloads of boxes and duffel bags. York let out a shout and jumped up from the floor, dashing over to crush Wash in a hug just as he set everything down on the floor. Georgia unwrapped her scarf from around her neck, looking flushed and still slightly exhausted, but she was grinning from ear to ear as Wash and York wrestled each other to the floor, York easily getting Wash in a headlock.

"_That's_ for not having _me_ as your best man!" he growled, playfully squeezing his legs around Wash's to pin him to the ground. They struggled for a few moments until Wash elbowed York in the stomach, managing to get away. He scrambled to his feet as CT stood up, making her way across the floor littered with wrapping paper scraps and boxes to glare at Georgia, whose smile began to fade.

"Hi?" she squeaked, trying to hold her ground.

"Best man?" CT said, glaring over at Wash. He fixed his sweater and smiled nervously.

"We got married," he said, reaching over to pull Georgia close, his hand reassuringly on her hip. CT looked like she was about to faint when Brandon came over, grabbing her arm with one hand while shaking Wash's with the other.

"Congrats, man!"

"Thanks," Wash replied, sounding relieved. Brandon pushed CT back towards the couch as everyone else started talking over each other. North stood up and helped Georgia sit down next to Maine, handing her a mug of hot chocolate which she gratefully accepted.

"Still a little tired," she said, taking a sip. "This is delicious."

"York made it," Carolina told her, pointing to him. He was busy handing out Wash and Georgia's gifts to everyone as Wash was mobbed by Dakota, Lee, and Theta for details about the wedding.

"Do you need anything?" Maine asked, nudging Georgia. She shook her head, laughing lightly.

"Just glad we made it in time," she said. "Sorry we couldn't get here earlier. I didn't feel well enough to travel until this morning, and Wash drove so crazily that I thought we were going to die getting here, to be honest."

"Well, I'm just glad you guys made it," York said, sitting down on the floor between her and Carolina. "Now we can really celebrate with everyone!"

Georgia nodded and leaned against Maine, watching the festivities as the new presents were opened and Wash was interrogated. Caboose was happily playing with the Hulk and Captain America action figures he had gotten North and Maine, flying them around in the air, making attack noises.

(b)

Once all the gifts had been opened and put away, everyone gathered around the kitchen table, holding glasses of champagne that York had poured for all of them. He cleared his throat and the others stopped talking, all looking over to him.

"First things first," he started, looking at Carolina with a grin. "Thank you all for coming for the holidays. It really wouldn't be the same without every single one of you guys here. And it's even more special because this is our first year in a new house, and I'm so glad you're all here to make it feel like home."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," North said, raising his glass a little higher. Wash mimicked the motion and almost started to drink, but York cut him off with a shake of his head.

"To continue, I have one thing I need to ask." York walked around the table to stand next to Wash, resting his other hand on his shoulder. "We've been through a lot together over the past few years, and I want you to know that I still consider you one of my best friends," he said, lightly clinking their glasses together. Wash smiled and nodded. "And I hope that you'll do me the honor of being my best man at _my_ wedding, even if I wasn't included in yours," he finished with a lopsided grin.

Wash's eyes widened. "Uh—yeah, I-I'd be honored, of course!" he stammered, setting his glass down on the table so he could hug York tightly. Maine was standing next to them and took York's glass so he could wrap his arms around Wash, laughing.

"What about me?" North asked, frowning.

"I want you to be a groomsman," York replied, a little out of breath from how hard Wash was hugging him. "And you too, Maine. We've got a plan to have everyone involved, don't worry."

"Who's your maid of honor?" Brandon asked Carolina.

"I am!" Dakota interrupted before she could answer. "She asked me a few days ago," she stage-whispered to Brandon, who laughed.

"CT is co-maid of honor," Carolina said, shaking her head. "And Theta is one of the bridesmaids."

"One of?" Lee asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I hadn't gotten around to asking you guys yet, but I was hoping you and Georgia would be bridesmaids as well," she said.

"_Me_?" Georgia squeaked, shaking her head. "I barely know any of you guys, I can't—"

"Shut up and say yes," Wash ordered, finally letting go of York, who was looking uncomfortable from the extended hugging session. "It's not like you're going anywhere, sweetie."

"Uh, then yes," Georgia said, blushing. Lee raised her glass and tapped it against Georgia's.

"That's gonna be a large wedding party," Brandon said, grinning. "Maybe we should just combine efforts and both of us can get married together, save time and money!"

"How about _no_," York and CT said in unison. Everyone laughed as they glared at Brandon, who shrunk away a little.

Carolina raised her glass and everyone did the same once more as York moved around the table to stand next to her again. "So anyway, now that that's all sorted out, why don't we toast to us?"

"To great friends," Maine said, tilting his glass against Lee's.

"To being together for the holidays," North continued.

"To all of you guys for being awesome, in spite of all the shit we've been through the past few years," York added, tipping his glass towards Wash, who tipped his in response.

"To us," Carolina said, raising hers to the center of the table. Everyone followed suit and the sound of glasses clinking against each other filled the room, quickly followed by laughter as Caboose nearly spilled his on Theta as he moved to drink his champagne.

**WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL**

**THE END**

**(Stay tuned for a final update of words)**


	55. Chapter 55

Oh.

My.

God.

IT IS FINALLY DONE.

So here's the deal, guys.

I love all of you that have read the entire damn story, and commented, and been supportive and awesome and everything else.

Now, I'm not going to just abandon the story. No! I will not! In fact, I actually have about 6-8 side stories lined up in my head that will be posted in a separate document because hell, this one is WAY too long for any sane person to go through. (Yes, I implied that if you've read this far, you're pretty insane. But I'm MORE insane for having written all this!) So keep your eyes open for another story to pop up in the Red vs Blue tag so you can read the continuing (or past) adventures of the gang.

Anyway, THANK YOU for all the support in writing this!

And now, a list of what I've retconned or fixed over this time:

- Delta was originally the doctor when when York broke his leg. Delta is now the name of the financial analyst group York works for, because that made more sense. Doc has replaced Delta as the "doctor," and yes, that word is in quotations for a reason.

- I realized upon re-reading earlier chapters that after York and Carolina broke up, when she moved to New York, she and Wash got together at Thanksgiving, had a relationship, and she then broke up with him AND York on New Years. That's...awfully fast. So now that's been changed to having started in September instead (her and Wash) going through Thanksgiving and into New Years. Just seems a SLIGHT bit more realistic that way...

- I'd off-handedly mentioned Simmons having friends that Grif drove away, Leonard and Lopez. They have been changed to James and Emmett (random names I just thought of). I realized Church had been introduced as Leonard before, and Lopez is going to come into play in one of the side stories, so that had to change.

- I've fixed a LOT of random typos, additional words, missing words, misleading sentences, etc. And I'm going to continue editing after I've taken a break from it.

On THAT note, I need someone to beta this officially and help look for plot holes and such. Does anyone know someone in the RvB fandom who would be willing? I have a friend who probably is, but I don't know if his beta skills are any good. :P

- Tyler was the official name of Utah because that's the name of the voice actor. So yeah. In case that wasn't clear.

- Any other questions/concerns/what the fuckery that you've picked up on? Please comment here or send me a message or whatever and I'll gladly respond and/or fix issues. I seriously wrote this entire thing on the fly, so I imagine there's some continuity issues somewhere. As mentioned before, I did add dates to all the parts and split it up into three large sections of story, but I don't feel like changing all that on either site. So whatever.

ANYWAY. THANK YOU ALL FOR STICKING WITH THIS FOR SO LONG. I LOVE ALL OF YOU AND YOU'RE ALL AWESOME. Hit me up here or on Tumblr and check back for the side stories, which I'll probably start tonight. :P


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